


The Gilded Cage

by banditBlue2



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alpha/Omega, Arranged Marriage, Bondage, Chastity Device, Collars, Forbidden Love, Forced Prostitution, M/M, Oral Sex, Redemption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-05-24 20:45:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 19
Words: 21,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14961881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banditBlue2/pseuds/banditBlue2
Summary: Hartley Rathaway is a beautiful virgin Omega from a wealthy family, and he will make a lovely concubine for a powerful Alpha one day. His future is bright and promising.But at Finishing School, he falls in love with an Omega named Cisco. Their love is forbidden and puts both of their futures in jeopardy.In a world of cruel sexual slavery and bondage which conspires to keep them apart, how can they ever be together again?





	1. Sleep Tight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bird cage picture from [farrago](https://farrago.deviantart.com/) at DeviantArt.

Hartley Rathaway lay spread out on his queen-sized bed with its silk sheets and fluffy pillows. He tried to sleep. But it was hard.

Like most nights, his wrists and ankles were strapped to the four posts of his bed with leather cuffs. He was spread wide and open, but he knew he could trust the staff not to abuse him. Or, at least, not to do anything beyond what they were permitted to do.

Like most nights, he was also naked and unbelted, to allow his genitals a chance to air out. It was supposed to improve the smoothness of his skin. His bedroom was kept warm enough that he never got cold, so he didn’t mind not having any covers.

Like most nights, he had a medium-sized ball gag buckled into his mouth. They only used the large gags on him during Stretch training, and that was only for short periods of time. Overnight, they purposely used smaller gags, since it was for eight hours. He was well-trained. He could sleep the whole night with a ball gag, stripped naked and exposed while strapped spread eagle. But tonight, he had trouble sleeping.

Because unlike most nights, he had an additional discomfort added to his nightly humiliations. A buzzing vibrator was plugged up his ass. He had already cum twice, but the damn thing kept going.

He didn’t think he would get a wink of sleep tonight. The vibrator was just too distracting.

He kept an eye on his bedroom door, desperate for salvation to come. 

Finally, just after midnight, his door opened quietly, letting light from the hallway spill into the private bedroom. A short figure was backlit briefly before it snuck inside and shut the door quietly. The figure slunk across the dark room and climbed up on the bed, crawling over Hartley’s spread limbs and draping itself across his chest.

“Hey, baby,” Cisco whispered, as he nuzzled against Hartley’s neck.


	2. Degrees of Freedom

Cisco continued to plant light kisses over Hartley’s neck and cheeks. Hartley raised his chin and mewled into his gag, asking for it to be removed so he could return the kisses. 

“Not yet, baby,” Cisco replied gently. “I want you quiet for the next part.”

Hartley knew Cisco would relent if he begged, but he had learned to trust his boyfriend.

“But I can release you in another way,” Cisco assured him. He slid down to the foot of the bed, and unclipped Hartley’s leather cuffs from the bottom posts. None of Hartley’s bondage was locked on. The cuffs on his wrists were designed so he couldn’t reach the clips to unhook them, and he couldn’t unbuckle any of his other restraints without the use of his hands.

But no one had counted on Hartley having a boyfriend on scholarship who was required to work late down in Detention cleaning the equipment, and liked to take a detour on his way back to the communal bunks. Cisco had even found a way to hack the card reader which controlled access to Hartley’s wing and bedroom.

Hartley sighed in relief as his ankle cuffs were released. He slowly bent his legs and pulled them up towards his chest. His Trainer had pulled his restraints extra tight tonight, in addition to the vibrator.

Cisco settled himself on his knees between Hartley’s legs and began to stroke Hartley’s thighs. Then he found the wired remote leading to Hartley’s ass. 

“Did they put a vibrator in you overnight?” Cisco asked rhetorically. “Let me guess, your Metal Trainer?”

Hartley nodded. Cisco shook his head in disapproval. “They shouldn’t give the staff here so much leeway in how you’re trained. Most of them are sadistic Alphas who love any excuse to punish us.”

Cisco turned it off with the remote, then pushed Hartley’s knees up against his chest. “Do you want me to take it out?”

Hartley nodded. Cisco grabbed the base of the vibrator and gently pulled it out. Hartley had been well-oiled beforehand, but it was still painful to have such a wide toy inside him. He groaned quietly into his gag as Cisco slid it out as carefully as possible. Even with his gentle touch, it still hurt.

Finally, it was out, and Cisco marveled at the size of the cold metal vibrator. But he said nothing as he placed it carefully on the bedside table. Hartley sank into the bed, thankful for the reprieve. He felt his ass slowly recovering from the extended stretch. His skin tingled, like there was still a vibrator inside him.

Cisco pushed his legs apart and began to stroke his thighs again. Hartley closed his eyes and relaxed into the sensations. Cisco stroked closer and closer to his crotch, then began to slowly drag a single finger along Hartley’s little Omega cock. 

“You’re so hard for me, baby,” he praised. Hartley moaned in pleasure.

Cisco brushed a gentle kiss onto his tip, and Hartley gasped around his medium-sized ball gag. Damn, that felt good.

Cisco sucked him deep into his mouth, surrounding him with tight, wet heat. Hartley was thankful for the ball gag. Otherwise, his moans would be audible for the whole wing of the building.

Hartley’s hips bucked up uncontrollably, so Cisco put a calming palm on his hips, and Hartley lay still again. Cisco sucked him off gently and lovingly, feeling for every hint of feedback from his boyfriend in order to maximize his pleasure. Hartley felt so safe with him, and his orgasm came quickly.

It was so different from the two orgasms he’d had earlier in the night, forced from his body by that infernal vibrator. This orgasm felt soft and gentle and full of love.

Cisco finished licking him clean, then laid his head down on Hartley’s thigh. His long hair tickled Hartley’s knee.

Hartley let him rest there for a while, but he wanted to touch his boyfriend. He hummed into his gag, and Cisco immediately understood what he was asking. He crawled up to unclip Hartley’s wrist, and Hartley unclipped his other wrist while Cisco took his ball gag out.

“Thanks, babe,” Hartley told him, and he pulled him in for a long kiss. He could still taste himself on his boyfriend’s lips.

They laid down in each other’s arms, content to just lie there. 

“How was your day?” Hartley asked.

“They’re making me design a new suspension frame for Detention. I actually enjoy the engineering side of it, even though I know what it’s going to be used for. The Dungeon Mistress keeps joking about testing it on me, but I’m just hoping they won’t make me watch as it’s used on some innocent Omega.”

“I’m sure whoever they put in it will deserve it.” Hartley kissed Cisco’s forehead. 

Cisco paused before continuing. “Then I stayed up late polishing the manacles for Metal Training. A few of them had some dried blood on them, but the Trainer told me not to worry about it.”

Hartley kissed him on the cheek this time. “There’s nothing you can do about it,” he assured him. 

Hartley caressed Cisco’s thigh, sliding his hand up and down the inside of it. The back of his hand bumped against Cisco’s chastity belt. He hated the reminder of the barrier between him and his love. 

Cisco gently grabbed his wrist, knowing exactly what he was thinking. “It’s okay, baby. I’m working on a way around it. I found out it’s based on a binary slot sequence, which means it’s vulnerable to a Mercury decryption algorithm. I just need a way to access the matrix coding, and I can run a brute force hack to test the set of all possible iterations in just a few hours.”

“I love it when you talk nerdy to me,” Hartley joked. “But if we get caught, you’re the one who’ll get in the most trouble.”

“It’ll be worth the risk to be with you, even for a little while,” Cisco told him, and they kissed each other deeply. 

Their kiss was cut short by the Academy clock tower chiming the hour. 

“It’s one o’clock!” Hartley exclaimed with a start. “You need to leave.”

Cisco pouted immaturely. “Do I have to?” he moped. 

“If you don’t, they’ll sell you off as a whore,” Hartley reminded him firmly. “I can’t stand the thought of anyone else getting to fuck you before I do. So leave.”

He knew if he worded it selfishly, that Cisco would be more likely to protect himself. It worked. Cisco stood up and began to head for the door. 

“Wait,” Hartley reminded him.

Cisco turned back hopefully. “Goodbye kiss?” he asked. 

“No, I need everything to be just as you found me.”

“But I hate tying you up,” Cisco whined. 

Hartley had already buckled his ball gag into place and clipped one wrist into position. He held the other one next to the bedpost, and Cisco obligingly clipped that one. He moved down to the foot of the bed to hook his ankles in place. 

“Uh-uh.” Hartley shook his head. 

Cisco looked at him in confusion. Hartley nodded to the vibrator on the bedside table. 

“No,” Cisco gasped, backing away. “I can’t do that to you.”

Hartley glared at him silently over his gag. Cisco relented with a huff and angrily snatched the vibrator and sat down on the bed, while Hartley lifted his knees up towards his chest, stretching himself open. 

His entrance was still well-oiled from earlier, and his natural Omega lubrication was supplementing it. Cisco positioned the metal toy, and Hartley was annoyed to realize the metal had cooled during its time out of him. 

Cisco waited for him to exhale and fully relax, then he pressed it into him. Hartley whined in pain as the widest part began to stretch him, then Cisco chickened out and pulled it back. Hartley sighed as the pain was relieved, but he knew it was only temporary. He practically snarled at Cisco, who looked at him with hurt puppy eyes. 

Cisco tried again and managed to plunge the wide metal vibrator deeply into his boyfriend's ass this time. Hartley lay still as he felt his ass stretch and mold itself around the unforgiving curves of the hard cold toy. He let his legs fall down slowly and stretched them out to the corners of the bed. Cisco dutifully clipped his ankles into place, then waited before he did the final step. 

Hartley finally nodded at him, and Cisco leaned over him to kiss his temple and stroke his hair. Then Cisco turned on the vibrator with the remote, turning it up to the highest setting, just as he’d found it. Hartley shivered at the invasive sensations, but he waited until Cisco had left before he let himself grimace and groan. 

◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆

The next morning, Dr. Snow came in person to inspect Hartley. She turned the vibrator off and pulled it out perfunctorily. Then she personally locked his state-of-the-art gilded chastity belt on him, before uncuffing him. 

“Let’s hope your morning performances will be better from now on. If I didn’t know any better, I would suspect that you were climaxing overnight without permission.”

The tiniest smile tugged at the corner of Hartley’s mouth, but thankfully, it was hidden under the ball gag.


	3. Stretch

Ronnie Raymond swiped his keycard and slipped quietly into the private Training Room. Dr. Snow had her back to him, and she was too concentrated on the tablet in her hands to notice him sneaking up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a giant bear hug.

She jerked in surprise, then relaxed as she recognized his warm embrace. “Someone might see,” she argued, but she leaned her head back against his chest.

He looked over her shoulder at the data displayed on the tablet.

“His response time has been low for months,” Caitlin complained. “All the variables are the same, but it takes him longer to climax, and his orgasms are shorter.”

“None of the other trainers have noticed a decline,” Ronnie pointed out.

“But they all work with him later in the day, and I have him first thing in the morning. I think we need to change his Sleep Protocol. Something’s going on.” She huffed and blew a lock of brown hair out of her face.

“Well, this isn’t your problem anymore. It’s my shift now.” Ronnie headed over to check on Hartley.

“He’s almost through,” Caitlin countered. “Let me get one more climax.”

The sturdy chair resembled a throne, but it was hardly meant for a king. Hartley Rathaway was completely naked, but not much of his skin was visible under the numerous metal bands that secured his body.

His ankles and knees were spread wide and shackled to the front legs of the chair. His wrists and arms were secured to the armrests of the chair. Hartley’s skin was flushed, and his limbs were all straining pointlessly against their metal restraints.

Hartley was clearly about to cum. His eyes were tightly shut, and his jaw was clenched around the metal bit gag jammed deep in his mouth. Finally, he came, ejaculating into the mechanical milker locked around his crotch. Dr. Snow entered the latest data point into her tablet.

Hartley’s orgasm didn’t last very long. He had been milked numerous times that morning, so he didn’t have much left to give. He finished climaxing and relaxed as much as his bonds would allow him to. His head would have lolled to the side, but his bit gag was attached to the chair.

“Okay, Metal Training’s over. Time for Stretch,” Ronnie announced, and he pressed the control to release the metal restraints. Hartley slumped over in the chair, so Ronnie scooped him up in a bridal carry to move him over to the bathing station.

Behind his back, he heard Dr. Snow leaving. “Bye, Caitlin. See you tonight,” he said quietly.

Caitlin gave him a tiny smile. Ronnie was proud that he was one of the few people who could crack her cold exterior.

But in the meantime, he had work to do. “You did good for Dr. Snow,” he told Hartley. “Good boy.”

Hartley smiled in a daze, still exhausted from his Metal Training. Ronnie laid him gently on the metal table and strapped his wrists above his head. It was partially a safety measure to keep him from rolling off the table, but it mainly served to make sure the Omega didn’t masturbate. It was important in training to teach the Omegas that sexual satisfaction comes from their Alpha, not from themselves.

Ronnie pulled one of the sprayer hoses over, and set the water temperature to cool but not cold. He started the gentle spray around Harley’s arms, then moved down his body, gently rinsing away the sweat and cum of the morning’s training session.

He noticed a small cut on Hartley’s ankle from the metal cuff. He considered making a note of it in Hartley’s file, but he didn’t want to get his girlfriend in trouble. Like most Alphas, Caitlin was a control freak and loved to make Omegas as immobile as possible, to remind them who was in charge. But part of the job of an Alpha was to care for the Omega and keep them safe. To teach them to trust that their Alpha would take care of them. 

Ronnie pulled Hartley’s feet up to get better access between his legs. He sprayed the water gently and was glad to see that Hartley had some good lubrication built up around his rosebud. That would be useful soon.

He turned the water off and grabbed a soft towel to blot away most of the water. Then he uncuffed the Omega and helped him sit up. He wrapped a black silk kimono around him and rubbed his shoulders.

He could feel Hartley slowly recovering from Metal Training. The Omega gave him a small smile. Ronnie had also noticed a change in Hartley over the past few months. Ronnie didn’t chart his Omegas’ orgasms like Caitlin did, but he did notice when there were changes in their moods.

Hartley was happier. 

Ronnie mused that maybe the Omega was just adjusting to his training program and was having orgasms more steadily throughout the day.

He gave him some rehydration formula, since he had lost a lot of bodily fluids during Metal Training. He guided Hartley to his feet and over to the padded mat on the far side of the room. Hartley came along obediently. Ronnie left him in the middle of the mat while he went to grab some straps and chains.

“Any stiffness in your shoulders today?” he asked.

Hartley shook his head. Omegas weren’t allowed to talk without permission. Even yes or no questions had to be answered with a head shake instead of a verbal answer.

Ronnie gently pulled Hartley’s arms behind him and strapped his wrists together with leather cuffs. He attached the cuffs to a long chain hanging from the ceiling. He leaned Hartley forward slightly, then went over to the wall to activate the winch.

He raised it at the slowest speed and watched with savory delight as Hartley’s wrists were slowly lifted behind him. He loved Omegas in strappado. It was such a simple way to stretch their shoulder joints and put strain on all their other limbs.

He stopped the winch and went over to check on Hartley’s position. His elbows were moving too much, which Ronnie didn’t like. So he grabbed a leather strap and strapped it around Hartley’s arms, right above his elbows, pulling his arms very close together. The kimono gaped open at the front, exposing Hartley’s pale chest.

Ronnie ran his hands over Hartley’s body, checking for tension. Then he went back over to the wall and winched him up higher. Hartley whimpered behind him. Ronnie grabbed an adjustable ring-gag, then went to stand in front of Hartley’s weary head.

He held the gag out, so Hartley could see what was coming. The Omega swallowed in apprehension before timidly opening his mouth for the gag. Ronnie slotted the lower part behind the lower teeth, then forced the top behind the upper teeth. He buckled it tightly in place.

He grabbed the adjustment tool and set about stretching the gag even wider. Hartley whimpered and tried to pull away, so Ronnie gave him a quick slap to remind him to cooperate. He immediately stopped squirming, but Ronnie still stretched the gag a little bit extra as punishment for resisting.

Next Ronnie picked out a wooden spreader bar with leather cuffs. Caitlin loved cold metal, with its unforgiving strictness. But Ronnie had always preferred warmer materials like wood and leather. Enough give to form around the curves of an Omega’s body. But enough strength to force them into position, and enough adaptability to let him slowly tighten the bondage over the course of the session. 

He had to coax Hartley’s feet apart, since this lowered Hartley down and made the strappado even more strict. Ronnie checked his hands for any redness or cold, but Omegas naturally had excellent circulation, even in strict bondage.

Ronnie flipped the kimono up in the back, exposing the Omega’s bare ass. He took a second to admire those slappable cheeks, jutting out invitingly in the air. But Impact Training was done by a different trainer, so Ronnie only gave them a gentle caress.

Ronnie slipped on some latex gloves and poured a generous amount of oil on his hands, rubbing his hands together to warm it up. Then he began to massage it into Hartley’s buttocks. His hands dove deeper and deeper into the cleft, until he finally brushed a single finger across Hartley’s entrance.

Hartley stiffened and gasped at the sensation, even though he had done this exercise dozens of times. It took a long time to train an Omega, if you were trying to train them without breaking them. The goal of an expensive finishing school like this was to produce Omegas who were darlings at the dinner table and sluts in the bedroom. It was a delicate balance.

He waited until Hartley began to breathe normally again, then began to gently run a single finger in a circle around the rosebud. He felt the muscle slowly relax, so he pressed his finger steadily against the entrance. He kept it there for a few seconds until Hartley relaxed enough to let him enter.

Ronnie let a single finger slip inside up to the first knuckle, then he kept it there, monitoring Hartley’s shallow breathing by the movement of his back. The hardest part was always the first finger, but after that, he could move a bit faster. Once the breathing got slightly deeper, he pressed his finger deeper and deeper, then began to slide it around, coating the inside with slippery oil. Hartley already had good natural lubrication, but some extra oil never hurt.

He added a second finger, and Hartley barely seemed to notice. Ronnie grinned. Hartley was doing well in his training. He scissored his fingers, opening him up more and more. He reached over to the instrument tray and grabbed a plug, which he had already liberally coated in oil. According to his chart, Hartley’s Training Supervisor wanted him upgraded to a size 5 plug. It seemed a bit excessive, but it wasn’t Ronnie’s decision.

He stretched Hartley open with his spread fingers, then put the tip of the plug just inside the ring. Hartley gasped again, but not as strongly this time. Ronnie pressed the plug deeper, slipping his fingers out to let them be replaced by the new invader. Hartley shivered, but Ronnie kept pushing at a steady rate. 

Up until this point, the plug probably felt like a size 4, but Ronnie could feel the change in Hartley’s muscle tension when the Omega realized how big the plug was. But Ronnie didn’t slow down. Better to get the widest part of the plug past the tight ring and let it settle deeper inside. Hartley let out a low groan, and Ronnie noticed that he was drooling uncontrollably out of the ring gag and onto the mat. Finally, the widest part of the plug was inside, and Hartley’s entrance tightened around the slightly narrower base. But even that base was wider that the widest plug Hartley had ever taken before.

Hartley breathed deeply but shakily, while Ronnie stroked his hair, waiting for him to calm down. With a new plug like this, he would have to leave it in for longer than usual, fully teaching his body to accept the new size. But Ronnie had learned a trick to help pass the time and relax the Omega. He pressed a comforting hand against Hartley’s back and reached around to gently wrap his fingers around Hartley’s little Omega cock.

(This wasn’t technically allowed by school rules, but Ronnie knew that no one would believe the word of an Omega over that of an Alpha. Besides, Hartley had no reason to tattle.)

It was already partially erect, what with the rear stimulation, and Ronnie began to stroke it and bring it slowly into a full erection. Ronnie whispered, “Good boy,” into Hartley’s ear. He was surprised when Hartley moaned in pleasure.

“Good boy, good boy,” he said again, and planted a kiss at the top of Hartley’s neck, just below the hairline. And Hartley came in his hand.


	4. Graduation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork by [BlueBerryMouseYumi ](https://www.deviantart.com/blueberrymouseyumi).

Hartley sat alone in his room. He always had a couple hours to himself in the evenings, before they came to ‘tuck him in’ for the night.

He hoped it would just be a light ‘tuck in,’ meaning only wrist restraints and removing his chastity belt. But lately, Dr. Snow had been adding on more bondage and accessories.

He sat at his desk, idly leafing through his science textbook. He had already taught himself molecular chemistry when he was in middle school, but they didn’t teach advanced subjects at an Omega academy. Omegas weren’t supposed to be smarter than their Alphas.

Hartley wanted a different life. Everyone was telling him who he was supposed to be, but no one listened when he said what he wanted to be. He wanted control over his own life. But he couldn’t see any version of his future that wasn’t decided by other people.

So, Hartley sat alone and pretended to study.

Suddenly, a soft knocking came from his door. No one knocked around here. Everyone had a keycard to unlock Hartley’s door, and it was actually locked from the outside, not from the inside. His bedroom was a prison cell, albeit, a very ornate prison cell.

The keycard beeped, and a second later, Cisco’s long-haired form slunk inside. Hartley rushed over to him, and they embraced and kissed deeply as a greeting. Hartley rested his hand on Cisco’s chest and traced the monogrammed name tag on his school uniform. Cisco slipped his hand under Hartley’s shirt and rubbed the small of his back.

This was what he loved about being with Cisco. The skin-to-skin touching. Everyone at the Academy touched him with gloves or over his clothes. But when Cisco touched his skin with nothing in between them, he felt alive.

Hartley broke off the kiss and regarded Cisco with curiosity. “You’re here early. Won’t they notice if you’re gone for too long?”

Cisco smiled shyly, “Ronnie thinks I’m polishing the leather chest harnesses. He left me alone in the Harness Room until I finished. He trusts me.”

Hartley kissed the back of Cisco’s neck, right at the hairline. “Still, that’s an awfully big risk.”

Cisco shivered at the sensation of Hartley’s lips on his sweet spot. “Well, tonight is special.”

“What’s special about it?” Hartley slipped his hands under Cisco’s shirt and began to pull it over his head.

“It’s our three month anniversary!” Cisco emerged from his shirt and kissed the tip of Hartley’s nose.

Hartley paused in surprise, so Cisco took the opportunity to take Hartley’s shirt off.

“We should celebrate,” Hartley blurted out, and he began to unbutton Cisco’s pants. “I want as few layers between us as possible.” 

Hartley knelt down and gave a final tug. Cisco’s pants came down, and Hartley came face to face with Cisco’s unbelted glory. He stared up at his boyfriend in stunned silence.

Cisco stepped out of his shoes and pulled the rest of his clothes off. Then he stood in front of the kneeling Hartley. Not a single thread of clothing and not a single piece of metal hid him from view.

“Don’t worry,” Cisco assured him. “I can unlock you, too.” He held up a keycard with a flat ribbon of wires connecting it to some electronic device Cisco had rigged up.

“Damn, you’re a sexy hacker,” Hartley told him as he hurried to his feet and shed his clothing. Cisco held the keycard up to the RFID reader on the back of Hartley’s belt, and some weird beeping came from the device. Then Hartley’s belt popped open, and he pulled himself free. Now no one and nothing could stop him from touching whomever he wanted to touch.

Hartley pressed his body against Cisco’s. The warmth and intimacy was unlike anything he had ever experienced. And he wanted more.

Cisco began to push them towards the bed. But Hartley stopped them. “No,” he said, “the bathtub.”

So they stumbled towards the private bathroom, reluctant to lose contact with each other, even for this short trip. Hartley blindly flipped the light on and kicked the door shut behind them. The marble bathroom floor was cold under their bare feet, but that wasn’t why they were shivering. Hartley fumbled at the polished handles of the clawfoot tub while Cisco sucked on the back of his neck.

He found some weird combination of hot and cold water, hoping it would be a fun temperature and dropped the sink plug down in the drain. Cisco pushed him down gently into the freestanding tub, so Hartley was reclining at the back of it. The ceramic tub was cool against his back. Then Cisco climbed in after him, half-sitting in his lap and half-laying on top of him. Hartley felt like a king.

The cold swirling water slowly filled up the tub, climbing up their entangled legs like a rising tide. Their feet squeaked against the slippery tub as they tried to push even closer against each other.

Their erections were growing hard in between them, and they awkwardly fumbled around, trying to stroke each other at the same time. It was hard to find a rhythm, but they didn’t care.

The water grew warmer as the hot water kicked in and their bodies heated up. They were both so hard and so needy. Their desperate gyrations splashed the rising water over the sides of the clawfoot tub. Hartley kissed the back of Cisco’s neck fiercely. Suddenly, they were both climaxing at the same time, their bodies pushing against each other in tandem.

And then it was over. They both sighed deeply and sank down in the tub. The water was deep enough now, so Hartley stretched out his foot and managed to turn the water off with his toes. Then he leaned back and let Cisco rest in his arms. Cisco’s hair had gotten wet, so now it was plastered to both their bodies in clingy swirls.

Before Cisco, Hartley had always been kept at arm’s length from people. His whole life was designed to preserve his purity so he could be given as an untouched concubine to some wealthy Alpha.

But Cisco came along and touched him in ways he had never been touched before. Taught him things about himself that he never knew.

It felt so right to have someone in his arms. To have nothing restraining them and nothing to keep their skin from touching.

He had never felt so content in his life. The warm water and the softness of Cisco’s body in his lap were heavenly. He let his head lay back against the side of the tub, and his eyes slowly closed. Together, they drifted away on the sea of dreams.


	5. Uncovered

Ronnie Raymond pressed his keycard against the reader beside Hartley Rathaway’s door. The bedroom was bigger and more ornate than the on-campus apartment he shared with some Alpha coworkers. But then again, he didn’t get locked in his apartment every evening, to make sure he didn’t run off and misbehave.

Hartley wasn’t at his desk or on the bed. The bathroom door was closed, but the light was on. He was Hartley’s Trainer so he was allowed to barge in, but he preferred to give the young man some semblance of dignity.

He knocked discreetly. No response. He knocked louder and called Hartley’s name. No response. He banged one more time, starting to get worried.

“Hartley? Are you okay? I’m coming in,” he called out.

There was the sound of water splashing. “Wait,” Hartley finally replied, sounding very disoriented. “Sorry, I fell asleep in the tub, umm, wait a second…”

Ronnie chuckled. “You’re fine, don’t worry. I’m here to ‘tuck you in,’ and Dr. Snow has a new device she wants to try on you.”

Caitlin had shown him the cold metal cock ring, designed to keep an Omega semi-erect for hours. She hoped it would improve Hartley’s morning performances by completely preventing any nocturnal emissions, but Ronnie still thought she was imagining things. The security at this academy was super tight. There was no way Hartley was getting off without them knowing about it.

“Just let me dry off,” called Hartley. The sound of a draining tub came from the bathroom.

“Take your time,” replied Ronnie. He looked around the room while he was waiting. Normally Hartley was a clean freak, which made it weird that he had clothing just dumped on the floor. Ronnie picked up a school uniform shirt and started turning it right side out.

Hartley cracked open the bathroom door. He has a fluffy towel clutched around his waist and a worried expression on his face.

“Umm, Ronnie, could I have some privacy?” Hartley glanced down at the pile of clothes desperately. “Could you step out in the hallway, I need to…clean up?”

“You’re not usually such a slob,” Ronnie observed dryly. He finished turning the shirt right side out and started to put it on the dresser.

Then he stopped. All the school uniforms had a monogrammed name tag on the front. But this one didn’t say Hartley Rathaway.

Ronnie threw the shirt down and strode across the room. Hartley’s eyes widened in fear. Ronnie pushed the door open firmly, and Hartley backed away and huddled against the bathroom wall.

The tub had almost finished draining, but there was a towel awkwardly draped over the back of the tub. Ronnie ripped it away, revealing a wet, naked Cisco Ramon huddled underneath.

Ronnie knew this would get Hartley kicked out of school, but his father could probably still arrange a decent match for him. But Cisco would receive the real consequences. The scholarship to this Academy was his one chance to escape a life of poverty or prostitution.

Ronnie tried to think calmly. All the Omegas did was take a bath together. With their belts on, there were limits to how much they could do to each other. Ronnie was willing to look the other way for a minor sin like this. If the three of them could keep this quiet, then Cisco might have a chance to stay in school.

But then Ronnie noticed something. Cisco was unbelted. The significance of this didn’t fully register right away.

Then he glared over at Hartley, who stared at him with wide terrified eyes, still clutching the fluffy towel around his waist. Ronnie stepped across the spacious bathroom in a single stride and ripped the towel away.

Hartley didn’t even try to cover his nakedness. He knew there was no point.

“Where’s your damn belt?!?” Ronnie growled.

Hartley’s eyes darted past him to the bedroom. Ronnie turned around to see Dr. Snow standing amid the discarded clothing, holding an unlocked belt between two pinched fingers. She looked at the two young Omegas in the bathroom with cold fury burning in her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated.


	6. Suspended

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warnings at the end of the chapter.

Water dripped off Hartley’s shoulders and down his naked body to land with a splat on the elevator floor. He shivered. Partly from cold and partly from fear.

“What’s going to happen to me?” Hartley asked pleadingly.

Ronnie spanked his bare ass as punishment for speaking without permission. But then he answered the question anyway. “School policy in case of a breach is to temporarily suspend you pending review.”

Hartley dreaded what his father’s reaction would be when he found out his son had been kicked out of school. Even temporarily. The elevator arrived at the lowest sub-basement of the facility. The floor here was covered in wide flagstones, many of which didn’t line up exactly. Hartley was still barefoot, and he kept stubbing his toes as Ronnie hurried him along.

Ronnie kept a firm grip on Hartley’s cuffed arm. It was school policy that if a student was unbelted, they had to have their hands restrained to prevent personal stimulation. Even though Hartley had just broken every rule designed to preserve his purity.

Ronnie took him to one of the Detention Halls, which was as dark and foreboding as a dungeon. He dragged Hartley over to what looks like a row of coat hooks on a side wall. Ronnie pulled one of the hooks out and unfolded it, and Hartley realized with horror that it was a hinged collar. He hated having anything around his neck.

Ronnie purposely set it too high, so when he pushed Hartley into position, the Omega had to stretch up on his tiptoes to fit his neck into the collar. Ronnie squeezed the collar tight, then clamped it shut. It didn’t have to be locked, since Hartley’s hands were cuffed behind him.

Ronnie stood watching for a little while, checking to make sure Hartley was able to breathe. It was school policy. Once he was satisfied, he gave Hartley a goodbye spank and went on his way. Hartley was left alone in the cold, dark dungeon.

◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆

Ronnie had collared him so he was facing the wall. He couldn’t see the entrance or most of the Detention Hall. In his peripheral vision, he could make out vague foreboding shapes of angular furniture and metal frames. He knew he would soon be secured in one of them. He had heard the rumors about Detention.

He shivered and not because of the cold. This was so unfair. He was already deprived of all freedom and choice, and now he was being punished for one of the few independent choices he had made in his life. He couldn’t control who he felt lust for. Why did there have to be so many rules about who could fuck who?

He never had much to hope for in the future. Just being a concubine for some rich sadistic Alpha who would probably just dominate and fuck him. And now he might not even have _that_ as a future. A couple tears ran down his face.

Meanwhile, his brain was providing lots of terrible suggestions of what the Detention Mistress might do to him. His calves were aching from standing on tiptoe to keep the pressure off his neck. Just when he thought he would go crazy from the fear and misery, he heard the door creak open.

High-heeled boots clicked deliberately on the cold, hard flagstones. Hartley could hear them circling him like a shark, but he couldn’t turn his head to look because of the collar. Finally, the new arrival stepped up to his side and peered into his eyes.

Hartley looked over at her in surprise, “Dr. Snow?” he asked. Then he clapped his mouth shut. He hadn’t been given permission to speak.

“Afraid not, dearie,” said the woman in a voice which was sultry and cold at the same time. 

She rested her cool hand lightly on Hartley’s lower back, right above his ass. “Although it _is_ a common mistake. My sister and I are practically identical, except for the hair and eyes. And personality.”

She carefully unclamped the collar from around his neck. He sighed in relief and sank down onto his heels. 

“Oh, poor baby,” said the woman. “Do you not like collars?”

Hartley shook his head pitifully.

“Well, I have just the thing,” she said. She retrieved something from one of the metal cabinets which lined an entire wall.

She wrapped the tall metal collar around his neck and locked it in place. He gasped in surprise, then gasped again when he felt how cold the metal was.

“I’m Lady Frost,” she said, gazing deep into his eyes so she could relish in his reaction to the cold collar. He stared back in terror into her icy blue eyes, framed by pale blonde hair. She was so much like Dr. Snow, but so different.

She swaggered back to metal cabinets, which he now realized were freezers. Evidently, she liked to keep her bondage equipment frozen.

“You can’t punish me yet,” Hartley protested. “They haven’t done a disciplinary review yet.”

“That’s enough talking,” Lady Frost said.

She pressed a metal pecker gag into his mouth, and he had to stretch his jaw open around the knot in the middle of it. It was attached to a metal muzzle, which clicked into a slot on his collar. Now he couldn’t push the gag out of his mouth.

While he was adjusting to the cold metal cock in his mouth, she took a spreader bar, fresh from the freezer, and attached it to the front of a frame.

The frame was pretty basic in structure, with four main pillars topped by collection of hooks and crossbars near the ceiling. Hartley could tell there were a lot of discrete attachment points and adjustors dotted down the pillars.

Lady Frost pushed him into position so his shoulder blades were pressed against the cold metal of the spreader bar. She uncuffed him, then immediately pressed his arms and wrists into various shackles along the bar. Soon, he was standing with his arms stretched out to either side.

She circled around behind him and attached cold shackles to his ankles. She taunted him, “It’s true: they haven’t done the disciplinary review yet. But until then, school policy is to temporarily suspend you.”

She pulled on a chain, and Hartley felt one of his ankles be pulled up and back. Lady Frost kept pulling until his foot was higher than his head. He struggled to balance on his other foot, to not put too much pressure on his imprisoned limbs.

“So, flexible,” Lady Frost praised, but Hartley didn’t like being praised by her. “Is Ronald your Stretch trainer?”

Hartley knew what was coming next, but it still took his breath away. She pulled his other ankle up to join the first.

It felt like he was dangling over a dark abyss, about to fall any second. His flesh bulged around the harsh shackles. He tried to put more weight on his ankles to take pressure off his arms, but that just made him tilt forward more.

Meanwhile, Lady Frost was putting another spreader bar between his ankles. He felt like a skydiver in freefall. He had to force himself to keep breathing.

“Spoiled little rich bitch,” Lady Frost hissed in his ear. “All your life, you’ve been trained to associate bondage with trust and protection. To associate domination with pleasant sexual arousal.”

She traced a finger down the sole of his foot, and he squirmed desperately to escape her touch. But this just made him swing more in his suspension, and he struggled to stay still.

“But now it’s time for you to learn what _real_ bondage is about. Inescapable, harsh, cruel bondage, in all its soul-crushing glory.” Lady Frost was having _way_ too much fun.

“And I believe you know the Omega who designed this frame,” she continued.

Hartley knew it before she even said it. 

“Cisss-co,” she said with a lingering hiss.

This was all Cisco’s fault, Hartley realized. Not the frame. He didn’t have a choice in what they made him build.

But Cisco had been the one to really push their relationship. Hartley liked him but had always just been along for the ride. It had never been anything long-term. Just a passing dalliance.

None of this was Hartley’s fault! He hung his head as much as his collar would let him and felt sorry for himself.

Lady Frost’s heels clicked away, leaving Hartley to suffer in his floating imprisonment. He concentrated on moving as little as possible and balancing his weight between the small number of load-bearing points on his body.

Then he heard her click back over to him and stand behind him. He wasn’t worried. He honestly doubted she could make his predicament any worse.

Then he felt something cold rub against his asshole.

“Just a bit of lube,” she crooned, before pressing something smooth and hard into his ass. 

It wasn’t even that wide, compared to other toys he’d had inside him. But he was used to being prepped for several minutes, with a Trainer making sure he was relaxed and slowly stretched open before he was penetrated. He had never been taken cold.

The toy was wide initially, but then it got much skinnier. He was surprised she hadn’t picked something wider. Soon, a bend kept it from going any further, and he felt the rest of the metal rod rest against the very back of his crack. Now that it was inside him, it wasn’t that bad. Just another toy in his ass.

But then he felt her attaching something to the end of the rod and putting some tension on it. He realized it was an ass hook, and she was going to chain it to something. He hoped she wouldn’t pull it at too sharp of an angle.

But no luck. She pulled the chain forward, towards his head. He wondered if she was going to clip the end to the spreader bar keeping his arms in place. He felt the hook pull deeper into his ass, and he arched his back, like that would relieve the tension.

She pulled the chain over his head and down his forehead and clipped it to the very top of his metal muzzle. He yelped into his gag in surprise. Then the true sadism of her move dawned on him.

If he relaxed his body and leaned his head forward, he would tug sharply on the hook. He had to choose between keeping his whole body tense and arched, or having a metal rod push painfully up his ass.

Lady Frost came around to stand in front of him. She held up a single ice cube. 

He didn’t know exactly what her plan was, but he knew it wasn’t anything good. He watched in hopeless dread as she slowly moved the ice cube down until it was hovering just under his naked belly. She held it there, an inch away from his body, and he could feel the cold from the cube. His skin tingled in terrified anticipation.

She slowly dragged the ice cube across his pale chest. He shivered and tried to pull up and away from her touch. His body was arching again, but in the wrong direction. Every time he pulled away from the ice, he tugged hard on his ass hook.

She rolled the ice over his Omega cock, and he was annoyed to realize how stiff it was. “Good boy,” she told him. “Getting an erection even in bondage like this. You’re a natural-born fuck toy!”

She toyed with him like this for a few minutes. Then she frowned cartoonishly. “Oh, no. My ice cube is gone. Your body must be really hot to melt is so quickly!”

She stroked the side of his face with her cold wet hand. He recoiled from her in disgust. She fetched something else from a freezer, but it was behind him, and he couldn’t see what it was.

“If you’re hot, then you must be thirsty,” she said. “Let’s cool you off.”

He felt cold water being poured over his back. It tickled as it dripped off his sides. He shivered, and there were splats as the water dripped down onto the flagstones.

“Are you thirsty?” she asked.

He didn’t respond. He knew any answer would just lead to more torment. What was the point?

She inserted a funnel into the front of his gag, and he realized there must be a tube down the center of it. She poured ice water down the gag, and he was forced to swallow it to keep from choking.

It was so cold that his body was confused for a second and thought it was scalding hot. Then the ice water reached his belly, and he felt the cold seep deep into his body. The warmth of his core was dying, and all that was left was cold darkness.

Every memory he had of Cisco’s warm body was being frozen away and replaced with ice. He was alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNINGS:  
> Cruel metal bondage  
> Pecker gag  
> Anal hook  
> Bondage suspension


	7. Pure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork by [Goodbye-Tuesday](https://www.deviantart.com/goodbye-tuesday).

Finally, she left him alone to wallow in his bondage and self-pity. His body adjusted to the ass hook and the strict position. But the enforced position made his muscles tighten and ache. His body warmed up the fiercely cold restraints, which made his skin even more aware of the cruel bondage. 

He longed for release, but he knew it wouldn’t come any time soon.

In front of him, Lady Frost lounged in a comfortable chair, languidly swiping on her tablet and sipping from a glass of ice water.

“Your file is an interesting read,” she told him. “From a good family, top trainers, high marks on everything from flexibility to endurance. And Certified Pure, at least for now.”

Hartley knew he was also a scientific genius, but that wasn’t a relevant detail in an Omega’s file. 

“The only bad mark in your file is from my sister: _‘ _Low responsiveness in the mornings_ ,_’” Frost read outloud. “No one knew you were fucking around with trailer park trash at night.”

Hartley should have gotten mad at what she had just called his boyfriend. But he just couldn’t bring himself to defend Cisco right now.

Frost trailed her fingers in her ice water, swirling it around. “You had such a promising future. But now you’re just homogreek garbage.”

 _That_ made Hartley mad. He jerked ineffectively at his bondage, then immediately regretted it as his ass hook was tugged painfully.

“What, you don’t like that word? Homogreek?” Frost stood up from her chair, fishing her fingers out of her cold drink.

“Well, get used to it, you little slut,” she hissed in his ear.

Just then, the door opened, and Dr. Caitlin Snow joined them.

“Speaking of sluts,” Frost said with a giggle.

Dr. Snow just pursed her lips.

Frost began to circle around the suspended Hartley. “We are made Alpha and Omega. Nothing in between. Alphas fuck Omegas, and Omegas get fucked by Alphas.”

Dr. Snow looked down at her tablet, making notes and pretending to ignore her sister.

Frost fondled Hartley’s dangling genitals with her cold wet fingers as she continued, “If you’re an Omega, then you submit to Alphas. If you’re an Alpha, then you dominate Omegas. To do otherwise is … unnatural.” 

Frost made deliberate eye contact with her sister as she finished her monologue.

“I need to interview the student. Can you please remove his gag?” Dr. Snow asked in a clipped professional tone.

Frost had to remove the chain which connected his ass hook to the gag. Hartley sighed in relief, so she quickly attached it to the spreader bar instead. But it was still less strict than before.

Then she slowly pulled the metal pecker gag out of his throat, making sure to let the saliva trail out of his mouth to humiliate him. She dropped the gag in her ice water, wanting it to be cold when she put it back in.

Dr. Snow put her tablet down and came over to stand beside Hartley.

“What happened back there?” she asked him.

Hartley didn’t make eye contact with her. He was angry at everyone right now and had no desire to cooperate.

Caitlin carefully took his collar off, knowing how much he hated having anything around his neck.

“I’m sorry about my sister,” she told him. “She’s never been good at holding herself back.”

“It’s not my fault the little slut couldn’t keep it in his belt!” Lady Frost retorted.

Caitlin ignored her. “Hartley, I know you’ve been through a lot over the years. You feel like everyone is using you. You feel like you have no control over your own life.”

She stroked the side of his face, just like Lady Frost had earlier, but he didn’t recoil from her caress. 

“I know what it’s like to feel like everyone is telling you who you should be, and no one is listening to what you say you want. But there’s no reason for you to throw away your whole future on a whim.”

Hartley looked into her honest honey-colored eyes.

“I know you feel like you don’t have any control over your life, but you do have a choice here. You can still make a good life for yourself,” Caitlin told him. “But we have to know the truth. You need to confess.”

“It was all Cisco’s idea,” Hartley said tearfully. “He came to my room, he wasn’t wearing a belt, and he unlocked mine. It wasn’t my idea.”

“How long had this been going on?” asked Dr Snow.

“For a few months,” Hartley explained. “He would come to my room at night, but we never did anything serious. We just cuddled. He was always belted, and I never came because I didn’t want to get in trouble.”

“What about tonight?” asked Dr. Snow intently. “Did either of you have a climax?”

Hartley paused. He knew they would find traces of cum in the bathroom, so he couldn’t say neither of them came.

He knew he should lie and say he was the only one who came. Cisco would get in trouble for unlocking their belts, and he would get in trouble for cumming without permission. Cisco would be punished severely, but he could probably keep his scholarship and stay in school. But Hartley knew that if he took credit for the cum, he wouldn’t be Certified Pure anymore.

He had to be Certified Pure to have any hope of becoming a concubine to a high-status Alpha. Anything less, and he would have to settle for a sub-par match.

“Cisco came. But I didn’t because I knew I wasn’t supposed to.” Hartley hung his head.

“I knew that trailer park trash was bad news,” said Lady Frost gleefully.

But Caitlin looked at Hartley carefully. She knew what he had just done. But she also knew it was easier for the Academy to blame the scholarship kid, rather than admit that they had let an Omega from a prominent family be sullied under their watch.

“Is that really what happened?” Caitlin asked Hartley. Giving him one last chance to save Cisco.

“Yes,” Hartley said definitively. For once in his life, he had a chance to decide his own fate, and he was taking it.

Dr. Snow pursed her lips, and her heels clicked on the flagstones as she left.

◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆

An hour later, Hartley was being escorted to the Headmistress’s Office. As they waited for the elevator to arrive, he caught a glimpse of Cisco in one of the other Detention Halls. Cisco was naked and restrained, and a transport box was open on the floor, waiting for him to put in. Hartley wondered where he would be sent. To an Omega whore house or testing facility, probably.

As Hartley watched, someone started to shear off Cisco’s long locks of hair. Hartley looked away. Cisco loved having long hair, but it was easier to care for an Omega when they had short hair. Training academies let their students have long hair, but when it was time to enter the workforce, Omegas had to be shorn.

The elevator dinged as it arrived, and Hartley got on, knowing he would never see this school again. His father had been contacted, and he was being sent home. The school had decided to edit his record to claim that he had graduated early with honors.

His file would still say Certified Pure.


	8. The Tea Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Melissa and her eloquent encouragement. 
> 
> Artwork by [Cathrine Langwagen](http://www.cassiopeiaart.com/).

Hartley gasped as the corset was pulled tight.

“It’s a good match,” his father told him.

Hartley was perched on a fitting pedestal, but he could see his father in one of the three full-length mirrors arrayed in front of him. The Omega attendants bustled around, preparing the rest of his outfit. They had already put him in slacks and dress shoes, which had a very high heel to show off his heel training. Also, his intended was quite tall.

“He’s from a highly respected family. A long line of wealthy businessmen, leaders of industry. He’ll be able to give you a good life,” his father continued.

The attendants dressed Hartley in a dress shirt and satin waistcoat. Every item was bespoke and fit perfectly snug around his body. Every item was also white, to emphasize his Certified Purity.

“We can merge our firms, once the families are joined. We are rich and successful, but we need respectability and history. The Queens can give that to us. We need a marriage that will cement this merger in the eyes of the public.” His father clenched his fist, determined to make his point.

Hartley was ushered off the pedestal and guided to a padded stool in front of a makeup station. As he sat down, he could feel the pinch of his upgraded chastity belt. They were making _sure_ he didn’t get off before his wedding.

Not that he had any urge for anything. God, he missed Cisco. No matter what his mood was, Cisco could always get him off.

Two attendants worked on his hair, making sure it was perfectly coiffed and sprayed. The other two worked on his makeup, tracing subtle green eyeliner around his eyes and putting blush on his cheeks. As a finishing touch, his lips were painted pearly pink.

The attendants were finally finished, and they started to put their supplies away. But Hartley’s father ordered, “Leave us,” so they quickly left the room.

His father walked up behind him and rested his hands lightly on his shoulders. 

They made eye contact in the makeup mirror as his father lectured him, “You had your fun off at school, but now it’s time to get serious. Don’t let yourself down, don’t let me down, and don’t let this family down.”

His father gripped his shoulders tightly, and Hartley concentrated on not whimpering from the pain.

“Don’t fuck up tonight.”

◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆

Hartley sat in a private tea room in the most expensive tea house in Starling City. In front of him, there was a dainty table covered in various tea items and hors d’oeuvre. The room was filled with antique furniture painted in pastel colors.

Hartley sat in the lap of the tallest and most handsome Alpha he had ever seen in his life. Oliver Queen. 

Oliver helped Hartley drink a sip of tea, then dabbed at his lips with a napkin. He was very gentle and careful. 

Oliver grabbed a small spoon to feel him some caviar, and Hartley made sure to lick the spoon sensuously, just like he’d been taught at school. He saw the Alpha looking at his lips, so he knew he was doing it right.

The point of the Feeding part of the ceremony was for the Alpha to show that they were commanding, but would also take care of their Omega and be gentle. The Omega’s job was to be submissive, but also to show off how sexy their mouth was.

Oliver gave him another sip of tea, then Hartley leaned forward to kiss him. Oliver didn’t seem to reciprocate, so Hartley assumed it was a power play. Maybe the Alpha was pretending to not care.

Hartley decided to skip on to the next stage of the ceremony, so he slid down to his knees and nuzzled his face into the crotch of Oliver’s pants. He moaned into the fabric as he felt the growing bulge within. He unzipped the fly and pulled Oliver out into the open air.

It wasn’t as erect as he would have expected, but he knew how to do this. He had been trained extensively on Artificial Knots at finishing school.

He licked and sucked and made the appropriate moaning sounds at the appropriate intervals. When he felt the Knot beginning to swell, he made sure to position it behind his teeth. He had to do a bit more sucking before Oliver came.

Hartley wasn’t expecting so much mess, since the Artificial Knots never ejaculated, and he had trouble swallowing all of it. Oliver handed him a napkin and helped him wipe the rest away. Hartley bowed his head. He was embarrassed he hadn’t been able to swallow everything.

He was glad when he heard a bell ring, and there was a bustle of activity as the serving staff wheeled in various serving carts covered in white tablecloths. Hartley peeked over the table and saw the staff remove the silver bell covers with a flourish, revealing the various bondage items within. Then they exited briskly, and the Alpha and the Omega were left alone again.

Hartley stood and began undressing. Once his pants were off, he put his heeled shoes back on, knowing they made his legs and ass look better. He couldn’t undo the corset by himself, so he left it on, and he went to stand in position under a horizontal silver bar hanging from a chain.

Behind him, he could hear Oliver picking over the bondage equipment, deciding what he wanted to use. Soon, Oliver came up behind him and began to buckle bondage cuffs on his wrists. Then he attached each wrist to opposite ends of the silver bar. It was the perfect height to keep Hartley stretched upwards, but his feet still touched the ground.

It was time for the Inspection.

Hartley sighed when Oliver removed the tight corset, and he sighed even deeper when Oliver removed the chastity device. Then the Alpha used a flashlight to inspect him, starting with his head. Hartley obediently leaned his head wherever Oliver moved it, and he opened his mouth wide, letting Oliver check his teeth and gums.

The Alpha moved down his body, touching and groping him with latex gloves. Hartley felt like a prized racehorse, being appraised before auction. 

Oliver squatted down while he held Hartley’s member in his hand and inspected it with the flashlight. Then he stood up and went to stand behind Hartley. Oliver hugged the Omega tightly to his chest and lifted one of Hartley’s legs up, so it was bent and pressed against his chest. Then he stuck a single lubricated finger into Hartley’s ass, checking his tightness and receptiveness.

Hartley closed his eyes and concentrated on relaxing. But it was over quickly. He half-expected that Oliver would fuck him right then, but instead, Oliver set his leg down and went to throw his gloves away. Evidently, Oliver wanted to save _something_ for the wedding night.

The next part of the ceremony was the Punishment. Even when an Omega hadn’t done anything wrong, it was still important for an Alpha to show them what would happen if they misbehaved. It also solidified the dominance hierarchy.

Hartley had seen some whips and belts on the serving carts, but he stood there obediently and awaited his punishment. Oliver came back and stood beside him, resting his bare hand on the Omega’s ass. Then he spanked him.

Hartley yelped in surprise, but then he realized how gentle of a spank it was. He had been hit much harder at finishing school. Oliver spanked him a few more times. Hartley had to remind himself to gasp and yip, even though he could barely feel the spanks.

Oliver pressed his body against the Omega’s side, and Hartley could clearly feel the lack of an erection. Did Oliver not find him attractive? Hartley was doing everything exactly as he had been trained to do, but he worried it wasn’t enough. Would Oliver refuse the engagement?

But Oliver suddenly wrapped a tall leather collar around Hartley’s neck and locked it in place. The Collaring. They were engaged.

Hartley had expected more fanfare and build-up, but evidently Oliver had made his decision and saw no point in waiting. The collar was strict and tight. He felt like he couldn’t take a full breath. A panic attack built up deep in his chest. His heart rate ramped up, and his breathing got faster, and he tugged at his cuffs, wanting nothing more than to rip this restrictive collar off.

But then Oliver hugged him with his strong arms. The deep pressure calmed him down. He felt so safe within the strong Alpha’s arms. The panic attack continued, but it wasn’t as bad. Oliver kept holding him until it subsided, and Hartley calmed down.

Oliver loosened the hug and kissed him gently. Hartley had been trained for this ceremony for years, but the only person he had ever kissed was Cisco.

Hartley knew he should be thankful. Oliver was a good dom. He was gentle and restrained, and Hartley felt safe with him. But he felt no love. 

Maybe if he’d never met Cisco, he could be happy with Oliver. But now that he had experienced sexual intimacy combined with a loving relationship, he could never go back. He knew what true love felt like, and now he could see through the lies, and he could barely stand the emptiness of the current arrangement.

But his life with Cisco was gone now. Hartley had thrown it away. He parted his lips slightly to let the Alpha slip his tongue in, but Oliver kept his lips closed firmly.

Oliver broke the kiss and looked deep into Hartley’s eyes. The Omega stared back, getting lost in his clear blue stare. He had thought Oliver was just stoic, but now the mask was slipping. Hartley saw the sadness and loneliness in his eyes.

He suddenly realized why Oliver had seemed so mechanical the whole evening. Oliver was just as trapped as he was.

◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆

Oliver Queen hoped he could sneak into the house and go straight to bed. But his father was waiting for him at the top of the stairs.

Robert Queen had one hand on the wall and the other on the bannister. Like a fearsome gate, which Oliver couldn’t pass through until it was opened for him.

Robert was leaning forward, so Oliver had to stand a few steps down. Since high school, Oliver had been taller than his father, so Robert liked to find ways to tower above him.

Oliver waited, but his father said nothing. Oliver finally asked, “Do you want something?”

“I hope it went well,” his father said.

“Quite well,” Oliver replied with a sad quirk to his lips. “I went, I came, I collared. You would have been quite proud if you had seen me.”

Oliver was highly suspicious that his father had planted some cameras in the private tea room.

“The Queen name has a long past, but the Rathaway name is the future,” Robert Queen explained for the millionth time. “We need to make this match work in order to merge our reputations and our companies.”

Oliver just stood there, not interrupting the lecture.

Robert’s voice grew gentle. “I won’t be here forever. After I’m gone, you’ll inherit an empire, and you can give Thea and your mother a good life. You have to protect them.”

He finally dropped his arms and stood aside to let his son through. But as Oliver walked past him, he grabbed his arm.

Robert hissed, “Don’t fuck this up.”

Oliver pulled his arm free and went to his bedroom. He stripped off his formal tuxedo and tossed it on the floor and stood in front of his huge four-poster bed, It had been a long day. He was ready to relax.

He knelt down and slid a large box out from under his bed. He opened it and pulled out a dark leather vest with a hood.

Underneath it was a bow and a quiver of arrows.


	9. Moonlight Delight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork by [Ka-Kind](https://www.deviantart.com/ka-kind).

Oliver adjusted his dark hood, then went out on his balcony and shot an arrow into tree across the lawn. He used his bow to slide down the rope and landed spritely on the cold grass.

He snuck through the forest, knowing the way by heart even though there wasn’t a path. He stepped into a hidden clearing, lit by the moon which was high overhead.

Oliver lined himself up at one end of the narrow clearing and aimed his first arrow at a pine tree on the opposite end. He held still, watching the trees for any sign of cross-wind, then he let the arrow fly and it sank deep into the hard bark.

He fired the rest of his arrows in quick succession, and soon, his quiver was empty. He walked across to his target tree and worked on pulling the arrows free. They were pretty widely spaced. His aim had been off. He just kept thinking about the events of the day. Suddenly, he heard something behind him, and he whipped around and already had an arrow nocked to aim at whoever had snuck up on him.

Lit by the moonlight and covered with a loose black cloak, Felicity Smoak looked like a forest nymph. 

“You must be distracted,” she said with a smirk. “You didn’t notice me sneaking up on you until I intentionally stepped on a twig.”

“Intentionally?” he asked with a raised eyebrow as he lowered his bow.

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. “How did the ceremony go?”

Oliver went back to pulling his arrows free from the tree.

“That well, huh?” Felicity could always read him like an open book.

“I just feel sorry for the Omega,” Oliver explained. “He’s being sold off into a loveless marriage, just to prop up a desperate business merger.”

“ _You’re_ being forced into a loveless marriage, too.” Felicity put her hand on Oliver’s arm and felt the tension beneath his skin. “The Omega is lucky he’s getting an Alpha as kind as you.”

Oliver cupped her cheek and ran his thumb across her lip. “He was wearing the same shade of lipstick as you. It was distracting.”

He leaned in and kissed her deeply. The forest around them melted away, and they were an island in the darkness.

Oliver suddenly pulled away. “I want to follow my heart,” he told her. “But there’s no version of the future where we can end up together. Not without hurting people.”

Felicity looked at him with eyes full of sadness and sympathy. “I think I know what you need to do,” she told him.

“What?” asked Oliver without much hope.

“You need to shoot some things with arrows.” She held up a juicy apple.

A goofy grin spread out on Oliver’s face, and he gestured to the other end of the clearing. “Go stand by that tree,” he ordered in a deep voice. He knew how much his command voice turned her on. 

Felicity positioned herself beside a pine tree that was riddled with arrow holes. She held the apple out to the side, keeping her hand flat and out of the flight path. The moonlight was angled, so she was well-lit, but Oliver was hidden in the shadows wearing his dark hood.

Without warning, an arrow whipped out of the darkness and pinned the apple to the pine tree. Juice dripped down like blood. Felicity grinned in excitement and pulled out another piece of fruit. A second later, it was shot from her hand.

She quickly ran through her whole supply. “I’m out,” she called. “Let’s raise the stakes.”

Felicity held her arms out to one side, forming a big circle in the air in front of the tree. The arrow hit right in the middle of her circle. Bull’s eye.

She made smaller and smaller circles with her arms, and he kept hitting them perfectly. She cupped her hands together, making a tiny circle, and she felt the feathers brush against her as the arrow flew through her hands.

“Okay, that’s enough. No smaller,” Oliver called to her.

“One more, one more,” Felicity begged excitedly. This was making her so hot.

She stood with her back against another tree and held a single hand right above her head, forming a circle with her thumb and forefinger. She knew Oliver would be nervous. If he missed, he might hit her hand or even her head. He might not trust himself, but _she_ trusted him.

“Come on, William Tell,” she taunted.

She held her breath in the cold moonlight. Oliver normally didn’t pause this long before a shot. She loved the anticipation. It turned her on.

Finally, she saw the arrow slip out of the shadows, flying towards her. It was too low, she could tell, but it was too late to duck.

The arrow hit, and Felicity gasped. She reached up and felt her arm. The arrow had pinned the sleeve of her cloak to the tree, but her skin wasn’t even touched.

She tried to pull the arrow free, but another arrow pinned her other arm. She couldn’t lower her arms now, and her cloak fell open. Two more arrows zipped in and pinned the sides of her cloak.

She struggled, but she was trapped. She was pinned in place with her arms up and out and her cloak open to display her thin dress. She was helpless, and she was helplessly turned on.

Oliver sauntered up to her slowly. She pulled against her imprisoning arrows, desperate for his touch. But Oliver took his time. He pulled an arrow free from her first tree, and an apple was still impaled the shaft. He took a bite of it, and the juice dribbled down his chin. Felicity couldn’t take her eyes off his mouth.

He finally walked up to her and unzipped the front of her dress with a long smooth pull. She gasped as the cold air of the forest crashed against her hot flesh. And he gasped as he discovered to his delight that she wasn’t wearing underwear or a bra. Her pale breasts practically glowed in the moonlight.

Oliver put his hand gently on one of her bare breasts, and she arched forward into his touch as much as the arrows would let her. Oliver leaned down, but he didn’t kiss her. “Lick me clean,” he ordered in a deep voice, heavy with lust.

She obediently licked the sweet juice from the apple off his chin. He was backlit by the moonlight, so she couldn’t see his face, but she could feel his skin shift as he smiled in delight.

Both of his hands were on her now, and he stroked and squeezed at her numerous curves. He kissed her, but she moaned with loss when he ended the kiss too quickly. The arrows ensured that he decided when the kiss ended.

Oliver leaned down and began to suck at her nipples, and she almost shrieked at the pleasurable sensation. A split second later, an arrow shaft was shoved into her mouth like a bit gag, and she clenched her teeth around it. She knew she had to keep quiet. Their relationship was secret and forbidden, but that just made it even hotter.

Oliver was kissing at her stomach now, and his hands were rubbing at her inner thighs, but her pussy was left neglected. She wanted him so desperately that she was willing to wake the whole town with her loud demand for satisfaction.

And at that moment, when her passions were strongest, he dove deep into her folds with his tongue. She almost dropped the arrow from her mouth, so she bit down hard to keep it in place.

Oliver hummed between her legs, and his vibrating lips felt amazing. She jerked her hips forward, as much as the arrows let her. He gave her a quick spank, and that sent her over the edge. She climaxed, and the arrow fell from her mouth as she stared up at the bright full moon.

Her head fell forward in exhaustion, and Oliver slumped back on his heels, staring up at her with an overwhelmed expression. His hand was in his pants, and she saw that he had climaxed, too. She was proud that she could turn him on, even when he was the one giving.

He recovered pretty quickly, and he zipped up her dress before pulling the arrows free and pulling her in for a long hug. He loved the way she felt in his arms.

“Do you want me to walk you home?” he asked, like he always did.

“No, I can walk myself,” she replied, like she always did.

She pulled the dark hood of her cloak up, hiding her pale blonde hair, and slipped back into the darkness of the forest and was gone. He gathered the rest of his arrows and slung his quiver and bow over his shoulders.

Then he walked slowly back to his family’s mansion.


	10. Bridle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork by [debnise](https://www.deviantart.com/debnise).

Once again, Hartley stood on a pedestal in front of a three-panel mirror. But this time he wasn’t wearing anything. Except for his engagement collar.

He hadn’t gotten a good look at it before Oliver locked it on him, but since then, he had spent hours examining it in the mirror. His father had admired it. The collar was made of white leather and had numerous jewels and designs embedded in it. Very expensive and high quality.

Hartley hated it.

The collar was tall and tight. It forced him to keep his head up and straight, like a neck brace he couldn’t take off. He tried not to think about how he would be wearing it the rest of his life.

Hartley’s father had made an appointment with David’s Bridle for the Fitting. Attendants were now bustling around Hartley’s naked form, which was illuminated with numerous lights so that no part of him was hidden in shadow. Hartley shifted in place nervously.

Finally, four attendants circled around him. Two knelt beside him and pulled his feet apart. They buckled leather cuffs around his ankles, keeping his legs spread and open. The other two attendants buckled cuffs around his wrists, then clipped the cuffs to chains hanging from the ceiling.

Everyone stood back, and the chains were tightened with a pulley, and Hartley’s arms were lifted above his head. Soon, he was stretched out tight and taut. 

They waited for his body to stretch out, then raised the arm chains a bit higher. Hartley groaned at the strain, but he was ignored. The focus was on his body, not him.

He had given up so much to be here. The image of Cisco’s hair being shorn off was burned in his brain. Hartley felt so guilty, but he pushed the emotion deep down and covered it in ice. He couldn’t afford to look back, only forward. He needed to focus on his future and his marriage. This was what he was expected to do, and this is what he would do. All the pain and all the damage would be worth it once he was a married Omega.

This was what he wanted, he reminded himself.

Hartley caught a glimpse of the harness. Everything was made of the same white leather as his collar, so it would match perfectly.

First, the attendants strapped a tight corset around his waist. It was even tighter than his engagement corset. Then tight straps were wrapped around his torso, tracing up over his shoulders and across his chest. He noticed various D-rings dotted around the harness. Probably attachment points for more bondage.

They took his chastity belt off, and he sighed in relief. His hands would be kept restrained until the wedding tomorrow morning, so there was no danger of him touching himself.

They wrapped straps around his hips and thighs, framing his naked genitals with a mass of white leather straps. His ass was also outlined, and a strap just under his asscheeks pushed up, making them look even more plump and enticing. Any Alpha would just beg to spank him. 

The whole harness was quite beautiful. But to Hartley, it just felt uncomfortable. He had heard that some Alphas kept their Omegas in it for the whole honeymoon. He hoped Oliver would unharness him right after the wedding, but honestly, he barely knew the Alpha. He had no idea what his life would be like from this day forward.

Now that the harness was in place, a single attendant knelt in front of him and began to give him a handjob. An Omega’s body shifts and swells when aroused, and they needed to make sure the harness fit correctly under all circumstances.

The room was full of people, and they were all staring at Hartley. He preferred a bit of privacy, but he had been trained to associate bondage with sexual arousal, so his body responded appropriately.

All around him, he felt attendants tightening and adjusting the various buckles and straps which imprisoned his torso. He could feel his flesh being pinched and cinched by the tight straps.

Finally, he came, and the attendant wiped him clean with a silk handkerchief. They lowered the ceiling chains and unclipped his wrist cuffs, only to lock them to the D-rings behind his back. His arms were twisted up in a reverse prayer position. He was flexible enough that it wasn’t painful, but it was still uncomfortable.

A chain was attached to the back of his harness and hung down to his ankles, where it split into two chains. One chain was locked to each ankle. The chain was very thin and delicate. More decorative than functional.

They helped him off the pedestal and prepared to wrap him in a cloak so he could go home without anyone seeing him in his harness before his wedding. That would be bad luck. But he still had to wear the harness overnight to make sure it was well-formed to his body.

When he walked down the aisle, he would only be wearing his collar and harness, and he was supposed to look perfect.

But before they could wrap him in the cloak, they heard loud voices outside the room. The door burst open, and a half-dozen Alphas in dark windbreakers rushed in.

One of them marched up to the lead attendant and held up an FBI badge and an official looking document. “We have a court authorization to seize all family assets as part of the Rathaway-Queen federal investigation.”

Two agents walked up to Hartley and held him by his shoulders.

“Do you want my collar or harness?” asked Hartley in a bewildered voice.

The head agent looked over at Hartley, giving him a long once-over as he admired the pretty Omega in the expensive wedding harness.

“No, Mr. Rathaway,” the agent told him. “We want _you_.”


	11. Shackles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork by [undead-academy](https://www.deviantart.com/undead-academy).

Hartley stood naked in a bare concrete room. He was freshly showered and cleaned, and his skin was still damp. His hands were cuffed to the ceiling, and there was a ring gag in his mouth.

No one had told him what was going on. The holding facility staff never answered his questions. He’d been seized as an asset over a month ago, and he was starting to wonder when he would be returned to his family. The engagement was probably off, but maybe they could make another match for him, once his father dealt with all this legal trouble.

Surely he wouldn’t be here much longer. 

The door clanged behind him, and Hartley could hear two sets of footsteps enter the room. Hartley’s arms were chained wide and taut, so he couldn’t turn to see them.

“ …been to one of them fancy finishing schools,” said a woman. Hartley recognized her voice as one of the handlers. “Highly trained, and very well-behaved.”

Hartley couldn’t help but feel good about the compliment, even though it was a little demeaning. Then he felt a sudden harsh sting on his flank as he was slapped.

“Healthy, blemish-free skin, with good muscle tone,” the handler continued.

A man hummed noncommittally. Hartley stood submissively, with his legs kept apart for easy access.

“This one won’t be on the market long. You should snatch him up, while you have the chance,” said the handler.

Hartley’s stomach dropped. He had been afraid of this, but he hadn’t wanted to bring the thought to the front of his mind. Instead, he had let it hum in the back of his mind like a ghost.

He was being sold.

No return to his family, no more finishing school, no engagement to a rich Alpha. He had heard the terrible rumors of what happened to poor-born Omegas who were sold off into various industries. He never thought it would happen to him. He shivered in fear.

The man circled Hartley until he stood in front of him. Hartley kept his eyes on the floor submissively and his head bowed. The finishing school training was embedded in him so deeply. 

“Got all his teeth, and good gum color,” bragged the handler.

Hartley felt latex finger invade his mouth and the man examined his teeth and gums. This was extremely insulting. Hartley was a high-grade Omega, from a good family and with a top-notch education. He wasn’t some broodmare being sold to a farm. 

Then he felt a finger under his chin, lifting his face to look up. Hartley looked up into the face of a young man who wore a leather jacket and had black hair cut in a boyish style. His eyes were brown and playful, but Hartley could sense a darkness deep inside.

Hartley tried to pretend to be submissive and sexy, but his anger over being sold and examined like this was hard to hide.

“He’s too defiant,” commented the man dryly.

“It’s just a facade,” claimed the handler desperately. “He’ll submit to you easily, once you have full ownership.”

Suddenly, the man stuck a finger up Hartley’s ass. Hartley practically growled in the man’s face. He lunged forward, but the cuffs held him back. 

The man just smirked at him, like he was a zoo animal who had charged the fence. “I’ll expect a discount for the temperament flaws.”

“I’ll draw up the paperwork right away, Mr. Merlyn,” the handler said brightly. She scurried off out of the room.

“You’re going to be a fun one,” Merlyn assured him. “I like watching the fun ones break.”

The handler ducked her head back into the room. “Umm, one more thing. The Omega needs a Bitch Name for the paperwork.”

Merlyn smirked at Hartley triumphantly. 

Hartley growled back softly. 

“This one has some pipes on him,” Merlyn said. “Let’s call him Pied Piper.”


	12. The Client

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork by [chryssalis](https://www.deviantart.com/chryssalis).

Even the elevator was gold. Or parts of it were painted with gold paint. The hotel was one of the nicest ones in the city. Hartley had been to a few of his father’s business functions in the hotel ballroom, but he had never been in one of the rooms.

The elevator dinged as it arrived at the penthouse. Hartley’s escort motioned for him to get off, so Hartley gingerly stepped out on his strappy heels. It was a little hard to balance. The elevator doors closed behind him, and he was alone in the lavish penthouse foyer.

“You’re new,” said a voice.

Hartley turned in surprise to see Ray Palmer leaning against a doorway with a glass of champagne in his hand. Hartley recognized him from various magazine lists of richest unbonded Alphas.

Hartley stood with his hands behind his back, his chin up and his eyes down. He had been given specific instructions by Tommy Merlyn, as well as specific threats of what would happen if he displeased his client.

Ray began to circle him like a shark, inspecting his body and clothes. Hartley shivered in his sequined shirt and tight pants which left little to the imagination.

Ray rubbed his hand across Hartley’s ass, then slipped his hand up the back of his shirt. Ray began to pull the shirt up and over Hartley’s head. An untrained Omega would have tried to help the Alpha undress them, but Hartley knew to just go with the flow and not resist.

There was a reason Tommy had sent _him_ on this job, instead of the other Omegas whores at Tommy’s club.

Ray tossed his shirt on the ground and knelt behind him to pull the heels off. Hartley held his breath so he wouldn’t gasp in relief as he stepped out of the high heels. Next Ray pulled Hartley’s pants down slowly. Hartley wasn’t wearing underwear, so his naked ass was right in Ray’s face. He felt Ray kiss one of his cheeks. Very gently.

Ray guided him into a huge marble bathroom with a large open shower. The floor felt the same as Hartley’s bathroom, where he and Cisco had made love. Hartley bit his lip to banish the beautiful memory. Ray lifted Hartley’s hands up and guided them into place to grip a curtain rod high above his head. Ray stroked his hands up and down Hartley’s body, inspecting and massaging every inch of him. Hartley groaned quietly in pleasure.

It was the exact opposite of his engagement ceremony with Oliver Queen. Oliver had been awkward and just went through the motions. Ray was smooth and seemed to enjoy every moment of his time with Hartley’s body. 

Hartley felt a deliberate tap on the back of his thigh, and he immediately knelt on the hard marble shower floor.

“You’ve been well-trained,” Ray commented in a voice deep with desire.

Hartley allowed himself a private smile at the compliment. He was a high-class catch, and he knew it. He deserved a rich and cultured Alpha like Ray, even if it was just a one night job. 

Ray ducked out of the bathroom, but quickly returned. He fastened cold metal handcuffs around Hartley’s wrists, securing them behind his back. Then Hartley heard a fizzy pop as a bottle of champagne was opened.

Ray poured the champagne on Hartley’s head. The wine soaked into his hair and trickled down his face. He opened his mouth to taste it. It was expensive; he could tell.

The Alpha kept pouring, and the liquid ran down the Omega’s back. Hartley shivered as the cold bubbly liquid cascaded over his naked skin. Finally, the bottle was empty, and the final few drops fell on Hartley’s face. Hartley broke etiquette a little bit and looked up at Ray and licked his lips slowly. Ray grinned down at him with dilated eyes.

Ray tilted his head towards the door, and they went out into the bedroom. A roaring fire was burning in the hearth. Ray stripped off his suit and fell back on the bed with his arms behind his head. Hartley knew how to read the signals. He had studied tons of body language at the Academy. Alphas don’t like to ask. They like their Omegas to just know what to do.

So Hartley climbed up on the bed. It was awkward because his hands were still cuffed behind him, and his skin was wet with champagne. But he managed to make it look sexy. He knelt in between Ray’s thighs and leaned forward to engulf the Alpha’s stiff erection.

It was an awkward position, and he had to work his abdominal muscles to move his mouth up and down the shaft, but the Omega isn’t supposed to be comfortable. They’re just supposed to satisfy their Alpha.

It didn’t take much to push Ray over the edge. Hartley positioned his mouth correctly so the Knot would swell behind his teeth, but Ray grabbed the back of his head and pushed him down, forcing him to deepthroat the Knot. He felt it swell in the back of his mouth, and he fought to not choke as the cum shot down his throat. He had to work hard to pull in breath around the Knot, until it calmed down enough to pull his mouth off.

Thankfully the Knot had been deep enough, that there wasn’t any danger of the cum leaking out. He had a feeling Ray wouldn’t approve of a leak. 

Ray gave a deep sigh of satisfaction and patted his side. Hartley shuffled up the bed to lay down next to the relaxed Alpha. Ray wrapped an arm around him possessively. It reminded Hartley of cuddling with Cisco, but Hartley quickly shook the thought out of his head. He nuzzled against Ray’s shoulder.

“Damn, you’re good,” Ray sighed. “Maybe I’ll keep you.” 

Ray drifted into a post-orgasm snooze, and Hartley lay perfectly still beside him. Cold pleasure pooled deep in his chest.

He had seen the other Omega whores at Tommy’s club, and he had no desire to be one of them. He wanted a high-class lifestyle, like this penthouse. His whole life, he had been valuable because of who his father was. But now he could be his own man. A highly-trained and cultured Omega who knew every rule of sexual etiquette. He would probably never be a concubine, but he could be a Pet Omega, and provide pleasure to rich lonely Alphas. He could climb the social ladder based on his skills, not his family name.

He closed his eyes, just for a second.

◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆

The next thing he knew, Ray was slapping his cheek. “Up,” he ordered coldly. “Go kneel in front of the fireplace.”

Hartley scurried into position. Ray came and stood behind him, looming over him. 

He could hear Ray stroking himself, right above his head. Hartley stared into the fire. He started to sweat from all the heat emanating from it, but he didn’t dare lean back.

“You’re a really dumb Omega,” Ray taunted him. “Did you really think I’d keep some two-bit _whore_ like you as a Pet?”

Hartley said nothing. Ray increased his tempo.

“You play the game right, but I can see into your soul,” Ray continued. “You’re not really submitting. You don’t know your place.”

Hartley could barely keep from crying. This was his _one_ chance to escape his fate. And it was crumbling all around him. Ray reached climax, and his cum soaked into Hartley’s hair, mixing with the dried champagne.

It was too much for him. Hartley whipped his head around and spat up at the arrogant Alpha. Ray just laughed at him and kicked him face first into the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Author’s questions](https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/42676379?show_comments=true#comment_214509893) in the comments.


	13. Cherie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork by [sylver-dali](https://www.deviantart.com/sylver-dali).

Tommy Merlyn inspected Hartley with latex gloves.

“Plastic surgery would be too expensive,” Tommy commented to his assistant. “Not worth the investment.”

Hartley’s face, neck and shoulders still stung sharply. Like the embers were still burning into his skin.

“Make sure not to return Ray’s deposit,” Tommy continued. “And file an insurance claim.”

Tommy pressed a finger into one of the harsher burns. Hot tears spilled down Hartley’s cheeks, and he couldn’t suppress his brief shout of pain.

“I knew that temper of yours would get you in trouble,” Tommy hissed in his ear. “It’s too bad. We could have gotten some high-priced lays out of you. But now you’re just a common whore.”

The full truth was hitting Hartley harder and harder. Now he had no chance of ever being a concubine or even a Pet Omega. His family name was gone, and now his face was gone. Only his ass was left, and even that wasn’t worth much.

“Throw him in with the others,” Tommy ordered. “No one cares what he looks like in the dark.”

◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆

Enslavement and prostitution of Omegas was technically illegal. But everyone knew it was happening, and everyone looked the other way.

Which is how Hartley found himself cuffed to a bed in a VIP room in Tommy’s club. The door was closed, but he could hear the bass music thumping out on the dance floor. Everything had happened so fast. He had only been with Ray Palmer last night, and his burns still ached, but already, he was on to another job. The door creaked open behind him. Hartley wondered how much this customer had paid for his cherry.

The Alpha climbed up on the bed awkwardly, and fumbled around with his belt. Hartley could smell the cheap alcohol coming off him. Hartley bit down on the ball gag filling his mouth, as the Alpha grabbed his hips and lined himself up. His small Knot slipped easily into Hartley’s oiled ass. Hartley was surprised. It was uncomfortable, but not too painful. Mainly just humiliating.

The Alpha thrust a few times, then adjusted, then thrust some more. Then he pulled out and fell off to the side. Hartley heard snoring. Was he asleep?!? A bouncer came in and ushered the Alpha out. Hartley was baffled.

Another Alpha came in. This one was less drunk, and he mounted Hartley easily. His Knot was bigger, but Hartley was still able to handle him without much discomfort. The Alpha cackled, “How many Knots have you had in this hole?” 

The Alpha spanked him to get him to tighten up more, but Hartley took a deep breath and concentrated on being as relaxed as possible. The Alpha came anyway and zipped up and left.

There was a long gap after that. The club music thumped on without changing. Hartley just waited in confusion. He serviced about a dozen Alphas that evening, then someone came to uncuff him and drop him off downstairs in the Omega kennels in the basement.

He was unrestrained and ungagged, but none of the other Omegas were talking, so he didn’t talk either. Hartley showered and ate dinner and climbed into his bunk. He was so confused.

It was only when he was lying down with the lights off that he realized what had happened. No one knew he was Certified Pure. No one knew he was still a virgin. Tommy must have assumed his records were falsified, or that Ray had fucked him. Hartley almost laughed out loud. 

After all the effort and fanfare to preserve his virginity, his cherry had been sold dirt-cheap to a random drunk Alpha who didn’t even cum.

Hartley knew he should be mad. Or at least frustrated. But he found that none of this seemed important anymore. Like he’d suddenly realized he didn’t need to want something just because he’d been told to want it. 

It all seemed so dreadfully unimportant.

◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆

Cisco was chained and leashed to the opposite wall. Hartley walked over to him, but he was chained and leashed as well. He reached his hand out to Cisco, who reached back. They were too far apart. Inches of space between them felt like miles.

They strained at the ends of their chains, and their fingertips barely touched.

Hartley woke with a start. He could still feel the warmth of Cisco’s fingers on his fingertips. But it was just a dream.

He realized he had an erection, and he almost had a panic attack. He would get in _so_ much trouble. He wasn’t allowed to masturbate.

But then he realized he wasn’t belted or restrained. Like the staff at the club didn’t care if he touched himself or not. He looked over at the next bunk, and the Omega was discreetly stroking himself. Hartley had never been in a situation like this. It felt totally alien. He felt unmoored. But also free.

He slipped his hand down under the sheets and grasped himself. It felt weird to have his own hand on his own shaft. He wrapped his fingers around and started to stroke awkwardly. He didn’t have any experience, but it was pretty straight forward. It felt good.

It was nice to be able to control the speed. He could slow down and speed up, according to how he felt. He wasn’t a slave to how fast an Alpha wanted him to go. 

But he couldn’t quite get over the edge. He was hard, but he couldn’t cum. He squeezed his eyes shut. And remembered … 

… remembered kissing Cisco in the darkness.

… remembered hugging Cisco with no belt between them.

… remembered holding Cisco in his arms while the bathwater cooled around them.

Hartley gripped himself and climaxed. He felt joyful release, followed by a sense of warm relaxation.

He was going to drift off to sleep, but then a nagging thought resurfaced. A thought he had been repressing and resisting for weeks. Where was Cisco? Probably some dark cold brothel, much worse than this one. Cisco was probably being hurt and used and abused. And Hartley had been the one to banish him there.

He was the reason his lover was being hurt.

Cisco was the one bit of warmth in Hartley’s lonely cold world. And he had tossed him aside like garbage. Cisco deserved better. Hartley should have been better. He wished he had another chance. Another chance to show how he really felt. To show his love.

Hartley’s regretful tears soaked into his cheap pillowcase, as he finally fell into an exhausted sleep. But within his chest, a warm flame had been reignited.

A flame no one could extinguish.


	14. Cisco

Cisco was already in costume. A gauzy white toga which barely covered anything. A fake laurel crown was pinned to his short hair. White wings were harnessed to his back, and gold paint had been sprayed over his whole body.

The theme of the party was Cupid. 

They also wore identical tracking bracelets. Cisco was pretty sure he could pick the lock, but he wasn’t sure how to get past the other security. Besides, what’s the point of escaping, if the world outside wasn’t much better than his current life.

They were all dressed up, but the party wouldn’t start for another few hours. So Cisco and the other cupidic Omega slaves were sitting in a room, waiting. Cisco did a lot of waiting these days. And while he waited, his mind drifted to where it usually drifted.

Hartley.

Cisco regretted ruining his boyfriend’s future. He regretted being so selfish and short-sighted. Hartley was from a good family and was beautiful and smart. He obviously aspired to being a concubine to a wealthy and powerful Alpha. Cisco shouldn’t have gotten in the way of his dreams.

But Cisco also believed that Hartley deserved better. Hartley deserved a deep and rich love that wasn’t based on surface-level beauty or material concerns. Cisco had hoped to be the one to give it to him. Because Cisco could sense to potential for a real and selfless love, deep in Hartley’s soul. Cisco had been in the process of unearthing it, when they had been torn apart. Cisco kicked himself for the millionth time.

He had known it was a huge risk to take their belts off that night. He was on scholarship, and a single infraction was enough to crash his whole future down. And it _had_ crashed. He knew he should regret what he did. But honestly, he had no regrets. He was glad he took his chance to be with his love while he had a chance, even though he sacrificed his future. It was worth it for that one night.

He didn’t want to live his whole life as a lie.

A couple months ago, Cisco heard a rumor that Hartley was engaged to Oliver Queen. It was a good match, and Cisco was glad that at least one of them had gotten out okay. At least Hartley was living a good life now.

Finally, Cisco and the other Omegas were ushered out into a hallway for a briefing. Evidently, they were just being used as wait staff tonight. No sex, which was always a relief. The Alphas at the party just wanted some sexy Omegas to ogle while they got drunk off their asses.

Cisco recognized the man in charge. Tommy Merlyn. They must be in Club Verdant. On the other side of the hallway, another group of Omegas stood at attention. These must be the club Omegas. They looked more expensive, unlike the Omegas Cisco was with. Cisco’s group was usually rented out to add to an existing group, to flesh out the ranks.

Tommy droned on about correct behavior and the punishments for stepping out of line or trying to escape. Cisco had heard it all before. He kept studying the Omegas across from him. They all had tons of makeup on, but one of them looked eerily familiar. He was looking down, so it was hard to tell.

Cisco coughed a bit, to make him look up. The Omega finally looked up at him, and Cisco almost laughed out loud with joy.

It was Hartley!


	15. Chemistry

_One year ago..._

Hartley did his best to stifle a yawn. God, he was bored.

The chemistry teacher droned on up at the chalkboard. Another lecture on the history of the periodic table. Each of the students sat with their lab partner at their lab table, but they never did any experiments. It was all for show. 

Alphas never wanted an Omega who was smarter than them.

In boredom, Hartley began to study his new lab partner. A poor-born Omega with long black hair. His clothes were baggy and wrinkled, and his t-shirt has a picture on it referencing some obscure science joke which Hartley found only mildly amusing. Hartley straightened his short-sleeve Oxford-blue shirt, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles. He was proud of his fashion sense.

Hartley turned his attention back to the teacher. Eobard Thawne. Rumor had it that Thawne used to run a major research lab, but an explosion had killed several people and he had been fired in disgrace. Now the only job he could get was teaching at an Omega school, which was a substantial fall from grace.

Thawne took out his frustrations on his students. Hartley had been groped and humiliated by his teacher on several occasions. His lab partner shied away from Thawne when he entered the class, so Thawne was probably having fun with the poor-born Omega as well.

Hartley wasn’t the only one who had been hurt.

Hartley was surprised that his lab partner seemed so focused and alert. The lecture was so boring, but the Omega was sitting up straight and was even examining the various containers of chemicals on the lab table. When the teacher began to demonstrate a simple chemical reaction, the long-haired Omega placed a beaker down in their lab sink and began to pour some chemicals in it. In precise ratios.

Thawne couldn’t see what he was doing, since the edges of the sink blocked his view. Hartley carefully observed the chemicals and ratios. He was pretty sure he knew what was going on. Hartley reached down and tapped his partner’s hand, right before he was about to add the final ingredient. 

His partner glanced up at him in alarm, afraid he was going to get turned in. But instead, Hartley picked up a different chemical bottle. His lab partner gave him a tiny grin. This chemical would make the mixture even more dangerous. 

Hartley added just three drops, then he put the bottle away and folded his hands on top of the table in front of him. Beside him, his lab partner did the same. To an outside observer, they looked like perfect well-behaved Omegas. But in between them, their chemical mixture bubbled. Dangerous gasses leaked out of the top of the beaker and tumbled down the drain of their sink.

All the sink drains in the classroom were linked together beneath the floor. And the teacher’s sink was just a few feet away. Anything happening in one sink would affect the others.

Thawne wrapped up his summary and prepared his Bunsen burner. He started the gas, then struck a match to light it. But he didn’t follow proper lab safety technique, which Hartley (and evidently his lab partner) had noticed. Instead of blowing out the match, then running it under water, Thawne placed the still lit match into the dregs of water at the bottom of his sink.

His whole arm caught on fire.

Thawne shrieked in terror, and ran for the safety shower, which quickly doused him in cold water. But he was never in much danger. The flames were bright, but they weren’t hot. The only real damage was to his pretty shirt, which was probably left over from his days as an acclaimed physicist.

The whole class laughed at the prank. Thawne had hurt most of them, so no one had any love for him. Thawne glared at them fiercely, but he couldn’t punish all of them without confessing his humiliation to the school administrators.

Hartley hadn’t laughed so hard in forever. He looked over at his lab partner. The Omega was laughing too, and he was pretty when he laughed. 

On a whim, Hartley leaned over to him. “I’m Hartley,” he said.

“I'm Cisco.”


	16. The Wheel

“Did you really have to have Omega slaves at my own engagement party?” Oliver asked.

“Come on,” Tommy cajoled. “The FBI seized all the Queen family assets, which means this club is your only remaining source of income.”

Oliver took a sip of his drink instead of replying. He wasn’t drinking any alcohol yet, to keep his hands steady.

“You don’t want to be branded as an Omegan rights activist, like those two homogreek Alphas at that posh finishing school,” Tommy continued. “Besides, the Omegas are just waiters right now. No knotting tonight, except for you and your beau.”

As if on cue, four Omegas in gold body paint and togas paraded out onto the dance floor below. They only reminder that they were slaves was the metal tracking bracelet on each Omega’s wrist. The party guests parted for them and quieted down. The Omegas parted the red velvet curtains covering the stage and revealed what was hidden behind. The whole crowd gasped at the beauty of the golden-haired Omega bound in a standing spread eagle. It was Felicity Smoak.

Oliver’s parents were on trial and would probably go to prison for decades. The Queen mansion had been seized as an asset, and Oliver and Thea had been kicked out. The Queen and Rathaway families had attempted to prop up their corrupt and failing empires with Oliver’s marriage to the Rathaway Omega, but they were both too far gone. Oliver wondered what had happened to Hartley, but there was no way to find out.

But on the plus side, Oliver didn’t have to marry to save his family’s empire, since there wasn’t an empire left to save. He could marry whoever he wanted to. And he only wanted one person: Felicity.

Felicity was roped to a large round wheel. She wore a skimpy dress with spaghetti straps, and each of her limbs was tied to the edge of the wheel, forcing her body into a X position. A garish red ball gag plugged her sexy lips. Her wild eyes met Oliver’s across the night club, and her hips jutted forward, like she couldn’t wait for his knot.

Another Omega in a wispy white toga presented Oliver with his bow and arrows. Oliver was standing on a raised platform with Tommy at his side.

“Have at her,” Tommy told him.

Oliver gave him a smirk. Despite all the animosity between them, Tommy still knew how to make his friend happy. It reminded Oliver of a simpler time, when they had been best friends and trusted each other with their lives. Why had things gone so wrong?

Oliver picked up the bow and nocked a sharp arrow. He gave a nod to the Omegas on the stage, and they pushed the wheel and started its rotation. Oliver watched it spin, enjoying how Felicity’s body bent and curved as gravity pushed her sideways and around.

As Felicity flipped upside down, the crowd whooped as her loose dress slipped up her body and exposed her bikini bottoms, which were tied loosely at her hips. Oliver let her turn another rotation, to get used to the rhythm. When she was upside down again, the shoulder straps of her dress pulled away from her skin, and Oliver shot two arrows rapid fire.

The arrows thunked into the wood on either side of Felicity’s head. She shrieked from the thrill, and the crowd went wild. Then they went even wilder as Felicity rotated upright again, and her now strapless dress fell down in the front to expose her glorious bare tits.

Oliver licked his lips. Damn she was hot.

But there was more work to do. He nocked another arrow and took careful aim. Felicity was upside down again, and her dress rode up even higher this time. His arrow sliced in, right next to her hip, and pulled the loose side knot of her bikini bottoms open. He quickly shot the other knot open, but she had to rotate vertical for them to fall off. By point, her dress was clumped off around her midsection, leaving both her tits and pussy bare for the crowd to admire. Oliver enjoyed showing her off.

He shot an arrow through the rope holding her right hand, and she immediately dug her free hand into her wet cunt. Oliver shot the ropes holding her feet, then released her final hand, and she was dumped unceremoniously onto the stage, still masturbating furiously.

The crowd screamed their approval.

Oliver slung the bow and arrows over his shoulder and jumped down from his platform. The crowd parted to let him through, and he got a few pats on the back from people he barely knew. They were mainly Tommy’s friends. Oliver jumped up on stage and tore the damaged dress off Felicity’s perfect body. He used the remains of the ropes, which were still tied around her wrists, to bind her hands together behind her back. She groaned as her hand was pulled away from her pussy, but she submitted to Oliver’s bondage. Oliver threw her over his shoulder, showing off her excellent ass to the approving crowd. Then Tommy beckoned him to follow him backstage. 

Tommy unlocked the door to his private office and gestured for them to enter. “Happy Knotting!” Tommy told them cheerfully.

There was a bed with red satin sheets in Tommy’s private office. Oliver dumped Felicity on it and worked on unbinding her wrists. Felicity threw her unbound arms around his neck and kissed him with wild abandon. 

“Are we alone?” she asked breathlessly.

“Just you and me,” he assured her.

“Good,” she said, then hopped off the bed and skipped over to Tommy’s computer. She perched on his office chair and figured out his password almost immediately.

Oliver could still smell her musk in the air. He asked tentatively, “You sure you don’t want me to take care of your … needs?”

“I hack better when I’m horny,” Felicity snapped. Her fingers flew over the keys, and her eyes shone with deep concentration.

Oliver shrugged and absentmindedly stroked himself. She was so sexy when she hacked naked.


	17. Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork by [chebi](https://www.deviantart.com/chebi).

Hartley waited until Tommy Merlyn finished his detailed instructions on how they were to behave tonight. Hartley’s hands were shaking. He could barely believe this was happening.

Cisco was right in front of him. Only a few feet away. But it might as well have been a mile. Hartley’s fingers tingled with the desire to touch. But not yet, he repeated in his mind like a mantra.

As soon as Tommy dismissed them, Hartley darted his eyes to the side to indicate for Cisco to follow him. Hartley walked down the hallway, then pushed through a side door and down a stairwell. He had worked at the club for a month now, and he knew every side passage and hideaway.

Cisco obediently followed where he was guided, fully trusting Hartley. There was a darkened nook under the stairs, hidden from any prying eyes. As long as they were quiet, no one would see them. The Omegas were all dressed identically, and hopefully, no one would notice they were gone.

Besides, there was some big event out on the main dance floor, and Hartley could hear the crowd cheering and stomping. All eyes and ears were elsewhere.

Hartley finally turned around and faced Cisco, who was just as beautiful as the day they had met in Chemistry class. 

“I’m sorry,” Hartley blurted out. 

“I’m sorry,” Cisco said at the exact same time.

They embraced each other and cried.

“I betrayed you, I’m sorry,” Hartley blubbered. “I shouldn’t have lied to them and forced them to kick you out of school. You deserved better, I wish I could do it all over again, I’m sorry.”

“I shouldn’t have taken you away from your perfect life,” Cisco blubbered back. “I should have let you live your life the way you wanted. There was no future for us, but you could have had a future on your own, and I realize that now, and I’m sorry.”

Finally, they broke the embrace and looked into each other’s eyes in the low light of the stairwell. Hartley watched Cisco’s eyes trace over the many burns on his face. Hartley turned away in shame, not wanting him to see his ugly scars.

But Cisco grabbed his chin and turned him into the light. “It’s okay,” Cisco whispered. “I’m sorry you got hurt, but I can still see you. It’s okay.”

Hartley looked at Cisco’s hair, cut brutally short to his scalp. He brushed his fingers through it. Even cut short, his hair was still silky and soft. They couldn’t take that away from Cisco.

Hartley kissed Cisco on the spot where his neck met his shoulder. Cisco shivered in his embrace. That was his sweet spot.

Cisco kissed Hartley on the back of his neck, right on the hairline. Hartley moaned. He loved it when Cisco kissed him there.

Their bodies pressed against each other. Only their toga costumes were between them. Hartley could feel the heat of Cisco’s body through the thin material. A similar fire was burning within Hartley, and he pushed his own heat back towards his lover. 

Like twin candles, fluttering towards each other in the wind.

Their eyes were closed, so they didn’t notice when the lights went out. They finally broke the kiss and came up for air. Hartley blinked in confusion, wondering why his eyes wouldn’t adjust. 

A lightbulb went off in Hartley’s mind just as the emergency lights came on.

“Cisco,” he said excitedly, gripping his lover’s shoulder. “The power’s out!”

“Um, okay, good?” Cisco replied in confusion.

Hartley explained, “The server which monitors our security bracelets isn’t working right now. Can you pick the locks?” he asked, holding up his wrist.

Cisco smiled as he took the fake laurel crown from his hair and pulled the leaves away to reveal a delicate wire beneath it. Then he began to twist it into the metal of his tracking bracelet, easily unlocking it. He got Hartley’s off even quicker.

As he worked, Hartley explained, “The bracelets send an alert with our location if they aren’t touching flesh, or if they leave the perimeter. As long as the power is out long enough, we’ll have enough of a headstart to be far from here before they know we’re gone.”

Hartley grabbed Cisco by the hand and tugged him out of the stairwell and towards the back of the building. They paused at the end of a hallway and peeked around the corner. A guard was at the exit, but he was called away on his radio to deal with a security breach.

Hartley ran up to the door. With the power out, the security pad wasn’t working, so they could just unlock the deadbolt. “We’re getting out of this hellhole,” Hartley said with a grin.

But then a distant hum started up. Hartley and Cisco looked at each other with dread. They looked down at the bracelets in their hands. They could put them back on, and no one would know they had tried to escape. They wouldn’t be punished. 

But how could they go back to slavery now that they had tasted the briefest hint of a free life together.

Hartley suddenly snatched Cisco’s bracelet from his hand and shoved him out the door. Cisco fell on the concrete with a cry, so he was too late to grab the door before Hartley slammed it in his face. The power came back on and reactivated the security pad. Cisco wrenched at the door handle in vain, but it was electronically locked. He threw his whole body at the metal door, while sobs wracked his body.

A tiny window opened in the door. Like a mail slot at eye level. A way to visually inspect someone before letting them in.

Hartley peeked out at the weeping Cisco. Hartley held up his wrist. Two tracking bracelets were on his arm.

“There’s got to be another way,” Cisco begged him.

“The bracelets are both touching flesh, and they’re within the perimeter. They won’t know anyone’s escaped,” Hartley explained calmly. “This is the only way to give you a decent head start. You deserve a good life.”

Cisco gave up on changing his mind. He just stood on his tiptoes and pressed his face through the tiny opening. Hartley did the same, and their lips met in a gentle kiss. 

Cold metal pressed in around the edges, as they both pressed their faces against the unyielding metal. Their lips were barely touching, but Hartley was thankful to feel the warmth of his lover’s lips one last time.

Then Hartley slammed the tiny window shut before he could change his mind.


	18. Righteous Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warnings at end of the chapter.

“They’re going to know something was weird about the power outage,” Felicity said. “But I have what I need to bring Tommy down.”

She held up a thumb drive triumphantly. Oliver wrapped his coat around her to cover her nakedness.

“Let’s sneak out the back,” Oliver suggested. “We don’t want to be here when Tommy realizes where the hack came from.”

He moved to escort Felicity out a side door. But Felicity said, “No.”

“I need to be with you to protect you,” Oliver explained.

“No,” Felicity repeated. “You need to stay and confront Tommy. When a wolf is trapped in a corner, it doesn’t lie down and submit. Tommy will fight back, not caring who he hurts. You need to be here to protect people.”

Oliver stared at her in confusion. He liked the occasional fight, but she was the only thing he wanted to protect.

Felicity gripped his arm and stared up at him. “You are meant to be more than a force of blind destruction. Don’t be a sledge hammer, be the arrow.”

She pressed his bow into his hands.

◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆

Hartley hurried up the stairs, hoping no one would notice he had been gone. He burst through the door and found a few Omegas scurrying along, heading to the dance floor. Hartley fell in line behind them, breathing a sigh of relief.

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he was spun around to face a furious Tommy Merlyn.

“You just couldn’t resist,” Tommy sneered at him. “You have a decent life at my club, but you still decided to mess this up. That temper of yours will be the death of you.”

Hartley tried to play innocent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he claimed with fake submission in his voice.

But Tommy grabbed his wrist and found the extra security bracelet. Hartley’s eyes flashed with anger. No point in hiding anymore.

◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆

Tommy threw a bucket of freezing cold water over Hartley’s naked body. The gold paint on his skin streaked as the water dripped off him onto the concrete floor. The cold and shock of the water made him tense up, which made the harsh strappado position hurt even more. His shoulders felt like they would twist off.

Hartley took a deep breath and forced his body to relax. It would only hurt more if he fought it. He had been trained for years to handle harsh bondage.

“How’d you knock out the power?” Tommy repeated.

Hartley just glared.

Tommy pulled out a knife and held it right in Hartley’s face. “You realize you’re worthless to me now. I can’t trust you, so I can’t even use you in my club anymore.”

Hartley just glared.

Tommy held the knife to Hartley’s throat and pressed the tip into his tender flesh. It hurt, but all Hartley could think about was how he got to see Cisco one more time. As long as he told Tommy nothing, Cisco would have a head start and a new life. 

“Tell me!” Tommy shrieked, and blood dripped down from the small gash in Hartley’s throat.

Hartley just glared.

Tommy cut a few more times on Hartley’s neck, cutting deeper and deeper each time. Trying to convince Hartley that he was willing to kill him. But Hartley already knew that, and he wouldn’t break. His last act on this earth would be to die for love, and that made him happy.

“No one will care about one more dead Omega whore,” Tommy hissed as he pressed the blade over Hartley’s jugular vein.

Hartley just smirked, with a fierce gleam of defiance in his eyes.

Tommy suddenly gasped and staggered back. He looked down in shock to see blood dripping down his shirt and an arrow protruding from his shoulder.

In the doorway stood Oliver Queen.

“Thomas Merlyn, you have failed this city,” Oliver growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter content warnings:  
> Knife  
> Blood  
> Torture


	19. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork by [wanchaleom](https://www.deviantart.com/wanchaleom).
> 
>    
> This chapter is dedicated to:
> 
> [Fangirling_inthe_waverider](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirling_inthe_waverider/pseuds/fangirling_inthe_waverider) (for enthusiastic encouragement)  
> And everyone who commented, kudo’d and read.  
> 

Felicity looked out over the city skyline. The wind whipped up around her, and chill bumps rose on her bare arms.

Oliver came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, keeping her warm within his embrace. Suddenly, he turned her around and picked her up to seat her on the railing of his balcony.

The government had seized all of his family’s assets, but he’d managed to hold onto this apartment for the two of them to live in. 

Felicity knew there was a drop of hundreds of feet right behind her, but she felt so safe in Ollie’s arms. She gave all control over to him. He would never let her fall.

They kissed as the breeze played with her hair, and the sun set behind them on the distant horizon. Oliver tugged her forward and into his arms. He lifted her off her feet and carried her into the apartment and towards the bed which awaited them. 

Felicity tugged her wedding dress close around her feet as Ollie carried her over the threshold and into the master bedroom.

◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆ḅᛒ◆

Hartley studied himself in the bathroom mirror. Burn marks scored his once blemish-free face. Scars from Tommy’s knife lined his neck. No Alpha would want him, he was sure.

Of course, he had cemented his fate by testifying at Tommy Merlyn’s trial for Omega trafficking. The trial forced people to stop looking the other way. There were still bad people out there, but Hartley had done what he could to stop one of them. And now he was ready to stop fighting and settle down. 

“We’re waiting … “ Ronnie Raymond called from the other room.

“Almost done,” Hartley called back. He took one last look in the mirror, and reminded himself that he didn’t care about how he looked to an Alpha. Well, he still cared. But he cared less.

Hartley went out into the bedroom, where Ronnie and Caitlin were cuddling on their mattress on the floor. Bed frames were expensive, and none of them had high-paying jobs. Ronnie and Caitlin had been fired from the Academy after what had happened with Hartley. He felt guilty about that, but they both assured him they much preferred their current lives. 

Hartley laid down on the other mattress. Cisco was already propped up on some pillows. He wore a t-shirt with a nerdy joke on it. Hartley cuddled up next to his boyfriend. He nuzzled at the back of Cisco’s neck, feeling how his boyfriend’s hair was slowly growing out and tickling at his forehead.

“What are we watching?” Hartley asked. 

Caitlin replied, “You weren’t here, so we voted on ‘Melissa in the Wave Rider.’”

Hartley was fine with that. He liked sci-fi rom-coms. They all settled in to watch the movie.

Cisco wrapped a soft bandanna around his wrist and tied it to Hartley’s wrist. It was easy to slip their hands free, but neither wanted to. They both felt safe and secure in the gentle bondage. 

They were still Omegas, after all.

Hartley knew he shouldn’t be happy. He had lost everything he had worked so hard to achieve. He had lost his education, his fiancé, his rich lifestyle, and his purity.

The apartment the four of them shared was tiny, their tv was crappy, and their jobs barely paid a living wage. But Hartley couldn’t imagine a life richer than this. He was poor, but he was free to be with who he loved. He squeezed Cisco’s hand tightly.

This was better than any gilded cage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thanks to everyone who came on this journey with me. 
> 
> In the comments, you will find:  
> [Similar stories](https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/43248482?show_comments=true#comment_217971416).  
> Author’s notes on [Alphas/Omegas](https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/43248482?show_comments=true#comment_217971746), on [the evolution of Hartley](https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/43248482?show_comments=true#comment_217971863), and on the role of [anger](https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/43248482?show_comments=true#comment_217971905) in the story.  
> Author’s [questions](https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/43248482?show_comments=true#comment_217971566).


End file.
